American Towing and Recovery Institute onThe Go
American Towing and Recovery Institute onThe Go
Hazmat Training for Tow Operators: Expanding Your Business Beyond Recovery
When a tow truck driver's head gets run over during a routine repossession, it highlights the extreme dangers towing professionals face daily. Our latest episode dives into this shocking incident and several other headline-grabbing stories affecting the towing community nationwide.
We examine the case of an Alabama ex-officer charged with murder after a fatal shooting during a truck repossession, a Montana towing company suing after being permanently removed from a police rotation list, and a predatory tower now serving house arrest after charging victims up to $11,000 per tow. These stories illustrate both the challenges and accountability within our industry.
The heart of our episode features an exclusive interview with Perry Beatty, founder of Hazmat Responder Network. Perry shares his remarkable journey from becoming proficient in light-duty recovery at just 14 years old to developing specialized expertise in hazardous material response. His insights reveal a lucrative opportunity many towing companies overlook: HAZWOPER certification to handle spill cleanup at accident scenes.
"Don't leave money on the table," Beatty advises. "You're already on scene – dominate the scene and handle the entire cleanup." He explains how the 40-hour HAZWOPER certification empowers towing operators to not only recover vehicles but also manage environmental hazards, creating substantial additional revenue streams while providing a valuable service to emergency responders who prefer working with a single service provider.
Whether you're looking to expand your towing business offerings or simply stay informed about industry developments, this episode delivers practical knowledge from someone who's built multiple successful operations in the towing and recovery space. Connect with the Hazmat Responder Network at 877-356-9767 or visit hazmatrn.com to learn how you can secure this valuable certification.
Welcome one and all to the American Towing Recovery Institute podcast. I want to remind all of you that the American Towing Recovery Institute aims to promote professionalism, safety and education within the towing and recovery industry. Remember, we provide training and certification programs for towing operators. We also advocate for industry standards and best practices, support research and develop all new techniques, including research and development of electric and alternative fuel vehicles With extensive research, with the EV Clever app, available now on Apple and Google Play stores, Foster cooperation among industry stakeholders. Please, if you need to contact us, we're always at wwwamtowri G Now. Here is Towing News Now.
Speaker 2:This is Towing News. Now we have a follow-up of a story out of Alabama about an ex-officer who fatally shot a man during truck repossession. We covered his trial a while back and he has been denied immunity.
Speaker 3:As a result of the facts and evidence presented in this case. The grand jury unanimously returned an indictment against Mack Bailey Marquette, charging him with the crime of murder.
Speaker 4:After months of investigations into the shooting death of Steve Perkins, a former Decatur police officer is now charged with murder. Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson announced Friday morning that Mack Marquette had been arrested for shooting and killing Steve Perkins in his front yard. Law enforcement agencies have denied repeated requests to see body camera video from the night Perkins was killed. Now his family will get to see it, but Anderson says he's keeping it from the public to avoid tainting the jury pool.
Speaker 3:My job is to seek justice and do it the best that I can, and the best way that I can seek justice is to make sure that everybody gets a fair trial, and that that can only happen if we've got the largest jury pool in Morgan County that we can have.
Speaker 4:He claims, previously released videos created rumors and speculation. It's something he wishes to avoid, since the video will be used as evidence at trial.
Speaker 3:As a result of posting the door count footage, you had untruths, half-truths, speculations, innuendos, rumors, and it just goes on and on, and all those were shared, and so that evidence, while it is still good evidence, is tainted with opinions.
Speaker 2:We keep you updated if anything happens. We have another follow-up story from a previous podcast out of Billings, Montana, when a tow truck company got removed from the police list rotation. Now this tow truck company is suing the city.
Speaker 5:When an accident happens, the police will sometimes call for a tow truck. Anderson Towing has been permanently suspended from that rotation. The company is now alleging that the city has violated its due process rights. When police respond to a crash and a tow truck is needed, officers will not be calling Anderson Towing.
Speaker 6:Essentially a death penalty for a towing business.
Speaker 5:Matthew Monfortin is the attorney for Anderson Towing and says the suspension came about after a crash in downtown Billings.
Speaker 6:This is a clear violation of Anderson to.
Speaker 5:The court filing states a no notice or hearing from permanent suspension in v process clause of the 14t on a towing list when you a property right that sho away from the company.
Speaker 6:Wit due process of law.
Speaker 5:Retired District Court Judge Russell Fagg received a bill of more than $1,700 to pick up his dad's car. Fagg said he was overcharged so he filed a complaint with the Office of Consumer Protection and later asked the city to take Anderson out of the rotation. In a letter to the city attorney's office, russ Fagg said his goal is to have Anderson Towing taken out of the rotation for towing companies called by the BPD, so billing citizens are no longer subject to their price gaging and mistreatment.
Speaker 6:The permanent removal was based on Judge Faggs' allegation from a tow that occurred a month ago.
Speaker 5:In court documents, Chief St John stated in a letter to Anderson Towing the city of Billings received informal complaints from citizens regarding excessive invoices received from Anderson Towing. Following local rotation calls, Anderson Towing is removed from the Billings local rotation. This decision is permanent and will not be reconsidered.
Speaker 6:We have never seen what those informal complaints are.
Speaker 5:A spokesperson says police followed the same procedures as the state for tow truck complaints.
Speaker 6:When Anderson Towing gets to have their day in court, we're going to have the evidence to disprove these allegations.
Speaker 2:There's been a lot of stories about tow truck businesses having predatory practices, but here's a story about justice being served out of Pittsburgh, with an owner of a tow truck service now serving house arrest after pleading guilty A year and a half after we exposed a local tow truck operator charging victims as much as $11,000 a tow.
Speaker 7:He's taking a plea deal to avoid possibly going to jail. Kdk lead investigator, Andy Sheehan, first reported on the towing practices of Vince Fanik and Fanik Towing and Andy was there when Fanik went to court today.
Speaker 8:You got a plea bargain Vince Facing 151 counts of fraud and theft by deception. Tow truck operator Vince Fanik headed into District Judge James Hanley's courtroom, waiving his hearing and agreeing to make restitution to victims while pleading guilty to some charges.
Speaker 9:I feel like he stole my car. Yeah, I just want my car back.
Speaker 8:The plea bargain comes a year and a half after we first exposed Fanex towing prosecutors' term predatory, charging some 36 victims $8,000, $9,000, $10,000 and as much as $11,000 to tow their cars short distances and holding the vehicles hostage until they pay up. In each case, fannick charged the victims thousands for the tow and thousands more for phantom recovery, gate and administrative fees, alleged services which prosecutors say were never performed. Instead of fighting the charges, fanik waived his hearing and will plead guilty to some counts when he's formally arraigned in May. County detectives and members of the Attorney General's office would not reveal the details of the plea, but sources say he'll be on house arrest and need to make restitution to victims. Didn't you have any second thoughts about your telling?
Speaker 10:He's not going to talk to the press today.
Speaker 8:Fanick said nothing leaving the court, but sources say as part of his agreement he'll be required to make a public service message about predatory towing. Do you believe that this was predatory on these victims?
Speaker 10:I mean the insurance companies agreed and paid for an awfully long time and he was offering services. I don't really have an opinion either way.
Speaker 8:After serving house arrest, making restitution and recording that public service announcement. His attorney says Fannick will try to put this matter behind him. She says he is leaving the towing business for good.
Speaker 2:This is a reminder to all tow truck operators that we need to keep a good image. Here's a story out of Charlotte, North Carolina, about a tow truck driver unknowingly delivering a stolen SUV to thieves.
Speaker 12:An unsuspecting tow truck driver was caught in the middle of an elaborate scheme. A dealership needed an SUV towed and the tow truck driver unknowingly dropped it off right into the hands of the thieves. All this according to court documents.
Speaker 13:It all started here at this parking lot you see behind me. According to a search warrant, a tow truck driver came here to pick up that SUV and take it down to a dealership in South Carolina. But when he got here that vehicle was nowhere to be found, and it turns out that's because another tow company had already picked it up, not knowing they were helping thieves. Sam Serhal says he's still dumbfounded at how he fell for a scam, innocently and unknowingly helping thieves steal a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. In January he signed up to tow the SUV off this lot on Remount Road and drop it off three miles away at this Goodwill parking lot on Wilkinson Boulevard. We negotiated a price of $145.
Speaker 13:He did the job and was paid through Zell. But in hindsight he says some things were suspicious.
Speaker 14:The guy called me says drop it at the end of the parking lot and hide the keys in the gas tank. I said dude, this is a 2023 vehicle. You sure you want to do that in Charlotte? You know, I said I hate to tell you that Charlotte, the old Charlotte, doesn't exist anymore.
Speaker 13:Court documents say it was all a scheme by crooks who tricked Sir Hall and Central Dispatch, who post towing jobs, into taking the car to this lot where thieves picked it up. I was like holy cow. That guy played us.
Speaker 13:Here's how Sir Hall believes it happened. He says a dealership in South Carolina bought the car from Enterprise in Charlotte. The tow job was posted to Central Dispatch, asking for a company to tow the vehicle to the South Carolina dealership. But instead Sir Hall believes someone hacked into Central Dispatch and acted as a transport company, a middleman, to swipe the vehicle, possibly even creating fraudulent documents to gain access to the car. The fraudulent transport company then told Sirha their tow trucks could not fit in the lot to grab the SUV, so they asked Sirha's company for help. Now Sam Sirha tells me everything seemed legit. It is why he is warning other companies To keep your guards up, especially in the line of work of tow truck companies. Meanwhile, according to that search warrant, investigators were trying to find the person on the other end of that Zelle account, but according to a police report, they exhausted all their leads and came up short. A small little extra tidbit here for you that Zelle account, though, was actually tied to another stolen vehicle in Kentucky.
Speaker 2:We'll keep you updated on this story. Here's a story about a tow truck in an accident that led to driving into a person's house in Lebanon, Ohio.
Speaker 12:A woman in Warren County is alive tonight thanks to the sound of snapping tree branches.
Speaker 6:Yeah. So Tracy Schonkweiler was nearly run over by a tow truck while she was resting in her living room.
Speaker 15:This all happening near the corner of Warren and East Street in downtown Lebanon, a tarp now covering a gaping hole in the house you're looking at here on Warren Street in Lebanon that's divided into apartments. Just before lunchtime today, a tow truck carrying a car on its bed. The BED WAS IN THE LIVING ROOM OF HER APARTMENT. The BED WAS IN THE LIVING ROOM OF HER HOUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE ON WARREN STREET IN LEBANON. That's DIVIDED INTO APARTMENTS. Just BEFORE LUNCHTIME TODAY, a TOW TRUCK CARRYING A CAR ON ITS.
Speaker 16:BED BLASTED IN A TRACY SCHONKWEILER STREET LE the house. She was in the living room. She was in the living room.
Speaker 15:She was in the living room.
Speaker 16:Sean Wilder was watching TV from a bed that's in the living room of her apartment At least that's where the bed was before a tow truck slammed through her living room wall.
Speaker 15:It made it into the house. He was going pretty fast.
Speaker 16:Sean Wilder told me crashes at the intersection of Warren Street and East Street are not uncommon, but the sound on my bed and got up and started running. I was about three feet from the bed when the tow truck, with the vehicle on the bed, came crashing through. If I hadn't gotten up I would have been underneath the vehicle and wouldn't be talking to you right now.
Speaker 15:Police say the ordeal began when the driver of the tow truck collided with a pickup truck a few feet away from Shankweiler's apartment. The force of that crash pushed the tow truck into the corner of a brick house next to where SHOCKWILER'S APARTMENT. The FORCE OF THAT CRASH PUSHED THE TOE TRUCK INTO THE CORNER OF A BRICK HOUSE NEXT TO WHERE SHOCKWILER LIVES, before COMING TO A SCREECHING STOP IN HER LIVING SPACE. Shook OUR WHOLE FOUNDATION, nick DAVIS, lives IN THE BRICK HOUSE. That WAS HIT no-transcript.
Speaker 15:Well, two other tenants raced out of their apartments, along with Tracy Schoenquiler, who just had enough time to throw a robe on. All those tenants are being helped by the Red Cross tonight. The investigation into this crash and whether or not speed played a role is now ongoing.
Speaker 2:Here's a story out of Los Angeles about a robbery suspect running over a pedestrian with a tow truck.
Speaker 10:We begin this afternoon with breaking news in South LA. Reports of a robbery involving a tow truck, then a man run over and rushed to a hospital.
Speaker 11:Police are, in fact still searching for the suspect. The tow truck is actually here just a little over a mile away from where it was initially stolen. Witnesses here telling us that the driver behind the wheel was driving so fast that smoke was coming out of the tire of one of the cars that was towed and also the front tire of the tow truck itself. Jacqueline Reyes was walking to an appointment when she saw a man lying in the middle of the street near 39th and Broadway Just after 10 30 am. Lapd says they first got a report of a robbery involving a tow truck and later a call of a pedestrian being struck. Reyes says police and paramedics were rushing to help the man who was hit, eventually putting him on a stretcher and rushing him to the hospital. In fact, you can still see his clothes in the middle of the street.
Speaker 12:There was an injury reported as a result of the incident. He right now appears to be in stable condition.
Speaker 11:LAPD Detective Christabel Yousef telling us officers detained a person of interest at first but ended up letting them go. The driver who stole the tow truck, speeding off later, dumping it near Normandy Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard before getting away, still canvassing and trying to sort everything out.
Speaker 12:We don't want to put out anything prematurely.
Speaker 11:At this point they are collecting and reviewing security camera footage and talking to witnesses to catch the person who did this, and investigators earlier were swabbing this car to try to find any DNA that'll link them to the suspect who stole this tow truck. At this time they're just trying to get the tow truck in a way where it can be taken out.
Speaker 2:We'll keep you updated on this story, listener. Discretion ahead over a story of a tow truck driver's head getting run over by a man trying to flee a repo in Memphis, tennessee.
Speaker 12:What appears to start as a routine repossession turns violent when a Memphis repo man gets underneath the wheel of a car and the driver backs over his head. Ah F***.
Speaker 17:F***.
Speaker 12:Ah, oh, my God, I'm in my f***ing head Watch again from the beginning as the tow truck driver grabs the chains to secure this red Ford Focus a man runs behind him and hops into the driver's seat, turns on the ignition and hits reverse.
Speaker 12:Memphis police say this unfolded just before 8 this morning here at the University Gardens Manor Apartments. Get out of here. Are you going to get sued boy folded? Just before 8 this morning here at the University Gardens Manor Apartments, as the victim screams in pain, a woman can be seen disregarding him instead, directing the driver how to escape. Memphis police say the man and woman fled the scene and miraculously, the victim is able to walk away, sharing his horrific experience on social media along with these pictures from his hospital bed showing his injuries. Memphis police say the victim had abrasions on his head, a large black mark on the front of his sweatshirt, complained of arm pain and had to be shaken to be kept conscious.
Speaker 8:It's hard to watch. It's real hard to watch.
Speaker 12:Neighbors who didn't want to be identified, all shaken by the video but also concerned with how the whole situation played out. I feel sorry for him.
Speaker 8:I don't think his job did him poor bro. I don't think as a person that told cause he probably should have seen, he should have looked what was going on and decided not to put his head in the car.
Speaker 12:Memphis police say a witness on scene told them they had sold that car to the woman in the video who they say wasn't making payments. She told police she'd put the car up for repossession and contacted the repo man to pick it up.
Speaker 2:We're praying for this tow truck operator's recovery and luckily we have news that the woman and man involved has been arrested.
Speaker 18:All right, after the break I'll be right back.
Speaker 19:Hi, I'm Perry Beatty. Operate Flow Stop Hazmat Responder Network geared toward the towing and recovery industry with equipment and training for those individuals that respond to accidents that have fuel spills, cargo mishaps, helping them attain that business through hazmat certification put forth through OSHA.
Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners. You know you're listening to the new Towing News Channel. Now I want to remind all of our listeners we are available on Spotify, itunes, pandora. We are available on Spotify, itunes, pandora, stitcher, iheartmedia the number one in the country Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to tune in every week to Towing News Channel.
Speaker 18:And here's your Hazmat Hint of the Week with Perry Beatty.
Speaker 19:Don't leave money on the table. You're already on scene, Dominate the scene, Handle the entire cleanup from not only vehicle recovery but any spillage that takes place. The government wants it cleaned up. You must be HAZWOPER certified to do reportable quantities. Now reportable quantities.
Speaker 18:Now reportable quantities. Does that change state by state?
Speaker 19:It does. 55 US gallons is what the federal government puts out. However, the states can come in and go. That's fine if you're in thus and so state, but here our reportable quantity is 30 gallons, or this state says 25 gallons, and if it's one gallon that hits a body of water that supports marine life, then that's the reportable quantity.
Speaker 18:And it's just the right thing to do in that situation especially, isn't it Right? Thank you for that hazmat hint, and it's just the right thing to do in that situation especially, isn't it Right?
Speaker 9:Thank you for that Hazmat hint Perry let everybody know how to reach you.
Speaker 19:You can contact me on my toll-free number, 877-356-9767, or email me direct at perry at hazmatrncom. That's perry P-E-R-R-Y at hazmatrn, h-a-z-m-a-t-r-ncom.
Speaker 20:Thanks for listening to Towing News. Now let's revisit our interview with Perry Beatty from the Midwest Regional Tow Show in September. The following interview provides you with great information and an opportunity to make your business more profitable.
Speaker 17:Welcome back listeners. You've been listening to the American Towing Recovery Institute podcast with Wes Wilburn. Dj Harrington, our special guest, is coming up in a minute. Here, wes, let me turn it over to you and you introduce our guest and get him going here.
Speaker 18:I certainly will. You know, the towing industry is a great industry and you meet a lot of acquaintances and some friends and this gentleman here is a true friend has proven that to me over many decades. When I got involved with rec master in the early 90s, education was not on a lot of people's minds as a matter of fact, it was ridiculed many times, etc.
Speaker 18:This gentleman here that I'm about to introduce did exactly the opposite. He was president of the north carolina towing and recovery profession. Towing recovery professionals in north carolina excuse me, I got I'm about to introduce did exactly the opposite. He was president of the North Carolina Towing and Recovery Professionals of North Carolina Excuse me, I got the name wrong and at that point that was a very strong organization with very strong leadership that did a lot of different things.
Speaker 18:And this gentleman had an active towing business in Charlotte, north Carolina, and was president of the association I don't remember it was me and Terry or myself at first came and introduced the concept of rec master and formalized training to the association. Instead of shunning us, perry Beatty did exactly the opposite. He welcomed us with open arms, came to the class himself to see what was going on, didn't send his employees, came to the class himself to see what was going on, didn't send his employees, came to the class himself to see what was going on with it and then, when he liked what he saw, he activated the association to help support it with a scholarship program and hosted classes himself. Like I say, he's become a friend, we became a friend. I stayed in his home many times in those classes, which in the early days. The hospitality was nice and also saving the money for a hotel room in the beginning was very nice as well.
Speaker 18:We struggled to get education going in the industry. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce Perry Beatty with FlowStop and Hazmat Responder Network. Perry, would you take a moment and introduce yourself to the listeners?
Speaker 19:Okay, thank you, wes. You pretty well summed it up on how we got connected. That was a big turning point in my days of towing and I've seen the boost that it put in the drivers once they came back from a training session. I had the opportunity to change career paths.
Speaker 18:Well, before we I don't mean to interrupt, but before we get there talk a little bit about your background. How did you get involved in the towing industry?
Speaker 19:Okay, well, I grew up working in my dad and uncle's service station in Charlotte as a kid and I think I got bit with a wrecker bug at about 10 years of age and by the time I was 14, I felt like I was pretty proficient on light-duty recovery.
Speaker 19:And when I was 16, I think three days after I'd gotten my driver's license, I had to actually go out on a wreck response. Call myself Car overturned down an embankment. I'd been at it for six years riding shotgun. It wasn't anything that scared me. I knew exactly what to do and the bystanders and law enforcement just was in awe of a kid coming out and doing that. And I built a reputation doing light duty recovery. Didn't know this until I'd gotten on up in years, but as my friends retired from law enforcement, they would make the mention that if they ever had a serious accident and requested tow trucks, they were always hoping that it would be me to show up. Then it wouldn't be an issue getting the road clear, and that thrilled me, knowing that I was looked at as such.
Speaker 18:Now your father and your uncle. They treated the towing business like a tire machine. Right, it was just another piece of the service station. That's it.
Speaker 19:My dad didn't think that towing alone would afford a business platform and I disagreed. I seen the opportunity and I disagreed. I seen the opportunity Now going back. I graduated from high school, had to register with the Selective Service.
Speaker 19:There was a little war game going on in Southeast Asia called Vietnam Right, and it's the only lottery that I've ever won. My number was three. So when I got called up the third time, I threw the towel in. I was pretty much a draft dodger and I was going to a community college to stay out of the military because fighting wasn't anything on my bucket list. But I went in, served two years active duty, came back my dad asked me to come back and help him and I told him I said the only thing that I want to focus on is towing. So I had the opportunity. Five years later I bought his interest in the towing part of it out, moved away from the service station and then started building up and got in the heavy A couple years after I'd left the service station bought a set of lift cushions and we were off and running.
Speaker 18:Well, as the producers say, it's time to take a break. So we're going to take a quick break, hang around, and we're going to talk more about what Perry's doing today.
Speaker 9:So we're going to take a quick break, hang around and we're going to talk more about what Perry's doing today For electric and other alternative fuel vehicles. We have developed an app that gives you all the manufacturers 411 for when that 911 happens, whether you are a fire tow or police, we got you covered. To find the EV Clever app, go to your Apple or Google Play store for a 30-day free trial.
Speaker 2:We also offer the National Tow Operator Certification, an independently sourced virtual testing program covering light duty, heavy duty, electric and alternative fuel vehicle.
Speaker 17:All right guys, welcome back. We are live from the Midwest Regional Tow Show. We have one of the greatest guys in the industry as our guest, perry Beatty. That I've known for years, but I have to tell everyone, just like Wes and I, this is a gentleman who stands for the flag and kneels for the cross. So he believes in our industry and we believe in Perry so much. So, wes, I'll turn it back over to you and I thank you, wes, for bringing him on to the episode, because he's our type of guy.
Speaker 18:Dragged him in, kicking and screaming kind of like you did to me, dj. Kind of like you did to me, hey.
Speaker 17:I got to tell you you were number three in the draft. I was number seven in the draft and I became the librarian at Port Dix, new Jersey.
Speaker 18:Yeah, I registered for that, but no draft was going on when I was of age.
Speaker 17:We won the lottery that year yeah.
Speaker 18:God bless you all for serving the country. All right, so tell us how you got from starting your own towing only operation I know you built it up real big how you got from there to where you are today okay, um, fast forward a decade from the 80s to the beginning of the 90s.
Speaker 19:Um, the program has whopperER is put together by the federal government. Right, they use three different agencies. You've got DOT, epa and OSHA. Okay, osha is the law. They came together, published March 6, 1990, the HAZWOPER program, and it fell in with Superfund sites, abandoned sites that had contaminated property and so forth. Those had to be taken care of not to spread disease, and so forth.
Speaker 19:Well then, it got to where. If there was an accident on the highway and a substantial hydrocarbon spill diesel fuel, if you will that had to be cleaned up. And there's another deal that was published in 76, referred to as RACRA, which is Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and it basically means restoring the property back to its original state. So if you have an accident that spills 50, 100 gallons of diesel, all that has to be cleaned up and put right back in the original state before the accident. Well, in doing so, the government requires the individuals that engage in that to be HAZWOPER certified, right? Okay, so we were going out to accidents involving spills, but yet I had the ability, the equipment and the knowledge to do it, but I didn't have what they referred to as certification, so they wouldn't allow me to do it. And in baseball you get to go to the plate and swing three times and miss and you're out, right.
Speaker 19:So where I'm leading into, we had a jackknife in Charlotte on one of the interstates. Rush hour traffic Got there. Trooper told me to get it out of the road, but a man in civilian clothes told me not to touch it. He was with the EPA and they didn't want to do any cross-contamination. They had a company coming out that was going to sifle off the tank so it wouldn't leak any further and clean up what it had spilled. Well, they had a 20-minute ETA that turned into two and a half hours. Oh, wow, okay. The media with their live-eye helicopter flying around showing my heavy on the side of the interstate. Naturally your fake news. They say the wrecker can't handle moving the truck and that was not the case, right.
Speaker 19:Two more of those deals happened within about a month's period. So I got heated up enough where I called to find out what you had to do to do that kind of work get certified and the person I spoke to in the north carolina epa directed me to a training facility and I took two of my people. We went and got certified and over a period of about five months I put another company together, now Charlotte's in what's called the Piedmont of the Carolinas. So I thought a hundred mile radius is going to be about my best response area. So I'll call this Piedmont Environmental Response Team and then use the acronym PERC. So we started off. All our literature said have a spill, make it a PERC alert, all right.
Speaker 19:So we were doing a lot of towing for a lot of your common carriers. I won't name them all, but I had a good of telling for a lot of your common carriers. I won't name them all, but I had a good list of about a dozen and I already had a rapport with their safety directors for working their accidents, went to them, told them what our new services were, that we were offering Instant client base and we stayed up with keeping up with the latest technology as far as equipment and so forth. I got to the point where I could even test the soil on scene to make sure that I'd removed all the contaminated dirt before I did a backfill seed and straw. So I sell the business in 98, and I stay on with the company until the end of 99, and I go home.
Speaker 19:Well, I kind of milled around with a couple ideas and I came up with a lightweight, chemical, hydrocarbon-resistant inflatable that would block off the exit ports of storm drains that are static drain lines, and I put the name FlowStop on it. That's what it does stops the flow and I received a patent in 2004 for that. And it just enlarged. We just came up with more product offering and it just enlarged. We just came up with more product offering. And then, at the urging of Tor's wife asking me to show them how to do that, I went and got certified as an instructor and then put HazMat Responder Network together and I traveled around the eastern seaboard doing HAZWOPER classes.
Speaker 18:Texas is not the eastern seaboard, perry Well.
Speaker 19:I know, but I love those guys down there.
Speaker 18:Shout out to Mike and Laney Phillips great people, oh yeah, so yeah. And so, as he says, the eastern seaboard, it's more than just that. I don't know at least east of the Mississippi. Hang around. Eastern seaboard, it's more than just that. I don't. At least east of the mississippi? Uh, hang around. We're going to take a quick break and we're going to get right into what the hazmat responder network is and what it can help you with the best towing companies offer a combination of great training, efficient operations, along with quality supplies.
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Speaker 17:Welcome back, guys. We're live at the Midwest Regional Tow Show. As you probably know from this episode, wes Wilburn, dj Harrington, the Tow Doctor, and our special guest, perry Beatty. Wonderful interview I want all of you to remember. Share us with your friends, with fellow towers, our hotline if you want to hear more guests like Perry, just dial 706-409-5603 and let Wes and I know that's who you'd like to hear on another episode and we'll do our best, like we've been doing here at the Midwest Regional Tow Show up here in Mason Ohio.
Speaker 18:Wes, let me turn it over to you so you developed the Flow Stop product, took on a whole line of products to help the towing industry and then got involved in the Hazmat Responders Network, which is an educational format which matter to our listeners. I've done the 40-hour course. I've done the eight-hour tank update. I don't know that I said that perfect on the update but I've done them both. Perry, it's not only informative, perry's an interesting speaker that can keep you interested in the subject matter. Let's face it that subject matter can be slightly dry at times and Perry does a good job of keeping it interesting and keeping it moving and sharing with you information that actually relates to your day-to-day operations, more than just going by the book and spouting out a bunch of technical information. That's one of the things I like about his instructional style. So, perry, go ahead where we left off and keep moving forward with how you developed this thing.
Speaker 19:Okay With HazMat Responder Network. No one was specifically assisting the towing market on doing spill response, on doing spill response, and it was a big plus if a company had the ability to do both the cleanup and the recovery of the vehicle. And the authorities love you know as well as I do one call gets it all covered so they don't have two different entities in the way of each other getting a job done. So a lot of Hazmat Responder Network is a lot of classroom for all your regulations and rules that are set up through those three agencies. I mentioned at the beginning of the podcast beginning of the podcast However, a lot of what I experienced actually in the field doing the work I bring to the table, offering this in the same training.
Speaker 19:Well, we get a lot of tanker overturns In doing so. There's three main cargo tanks that haul Class III, which are your hydrocarbon flammable fluids, and then your Class VI chemicals poisons, and your Class VIII, which are your corrosives. They're all hauled in three different type of cargo tank trailers. So I took it upon myself to build these with all the apparatus and importance that you'll find on these, and show how to safely ground and bond and transfer those products.
Speaker 18:Yeah, so just to clarify with our listeners, he built demos that are just like the real tank, but it's a tabletop version where you can roll it into a garage bay and one of them, actually, he puts an aluminum slide in there and you get the sensation or the experience of drilling the side of a tanker for a pump-off. I did it. There's pictures of me on Facebook doing it at the class, but these are desktop mini tankers that can be rolled into a classroom and trained and they're an excellent training tool. Excellent training tool.
Speaker 19:The one that I have built that simulates a fuel hauler. We can rotate 90 degrees to simulate an overturn. And the beauty of it. Everything on it is designed to fail. Okay, and with that being said, we have the tools and the equipment to stop the leaks so we can prepare it for offload. And then, once we offload it, then we stand it upright again and we can show everybody how you approach that, to stop leaks and so forth, to get it prepared to transfer the load and then safely upright.
Speaker 18:And the same with chemical and corrosive haulers too and you hold these classes all over the I'm going to say east of the mississippi is more accurate, not trying to correct you, but yeah, um, if somebody wants to do a class on their own or attend a class, how do they get in touch with you?
Speaker 19:Well, if they contact me, Hazmat Responder, network Flow Stop. Both share the same toll-free number. They call that any time. I'm like the old-school tow truck driver I'll answer the phone any time you do the same.
Speaker 18:Yeah, what is that toll-free number?
Speaker 19:It's 877-356-9767. That's correct.
Speaker 18:Good, we have you checking. What about a website?
Speaker 19:Website is hazmatrn for Responder Network hazmatrncom.
Speaker 18:So, Perry, why should a towing company consider getting involved in this and not just letting some other entity do this? I mean, are they leaving money on the ground?
Speaker 19:Well, absolutely. This would broaden out their scope of performance and services offered, and it's not just limited to traffic accidents. Once we got established and known with the authorities, companies started calling us for like a loading dock, mishap spills on private property, construction, so forth, and it was a good revenue producer, so it also assisted in getting the road opened up. Like I mentioned earlier, the authorities really appreciated that, so it opened a lot more doors and it even created more business for the towing side of things, because we had that ability to do it all.
Speaker 18:Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Different towing companies I know around the country have done that. That's one of the things they talk about and forward-thinking companies work with other towing companies that develop their hazmat company work with other towing companies that develop their hazmat company work with other towing companies. I know John Redmond in Virginia is one that I know personally that developed a cleanup company and works with other towing companies. It's simply business and it's simple business decisions. So when somebody comes and takes their 40-hour course, how long does that certification last for? Is it a certification or qualification?
Speaker 19:No, it's a certification, okay, okay, and it's good for 12 months. At the conclusion of the 12 months following the training, then OSHA requires the technician to have eight hours annual refresher so they don't have to go through the 40-hour course again. Just on a yearly basis, an eight-hour refresher right and then I offer that tank class as a annual refresher it's a one-day class and also have a refresher for incident commander. On-scene supervisor.
Speaker 18:Okay.
Speaker 19:Yeah.
Speaker 18:And not only towing operators, but fire personnel and whatnot. Take this 40-hour course with you.
Speaker 19:Sometimes the fire service has sent reps and firefighters to it, but bear in mind they don't do cleanup and disposal. So there's three levels of hazmat. You've got your awareness. That's only eight hours and the only thing that you're able to do is witness and respond as far as reporting to authorities. Then you have operation, which is a 24-hour course and it allows you to remotely stop the spill from spreading. But then you have technician, which allows you to go in, stop it at the source of the leak, clean it up and dispose of it according to the EPA OSHA guidelines.
Speaker 18:So one of the things you bring to the table is to help folks keep up with all these different what they can do, what they can't do, etc. And can back it up with validation. Exactly, that's huge, because that's a whole jungle in itself, isn't it?
Speaker 19:and when we conclude the 40-hour class, uh, I give a list of vendors that have uh products and services that'll help them. It's not locked in on that, but it gives them a starting point where to go for supplies and uh like insurance, for that matter to cover it so.
Speaker 18:So it's a full service organization, organization helping the towing operator. Completely go in that direction. I try to leave no rock unturned. God bless you. You've always been very thorough like that. Anything you'd like to share with us in closing?
Speaker 19:I'm just pleased to see people take on elevating their service level up Right and I've seen a lot of success in the past eight years.
Speaker 18:Yeah, and I've seen a lot of it as well. You've helped a lot of organizations grow their business and be able to take care of their families better and that's huge and control their own destiny a little bit too. Everybody knows the value of that. Well, perry, I can't thank you enough for taking time on a busy morning. The show is open. There's people all over the floor and I got Perry away from his booth, so we're going to kick him out of here. We're going to thank him and kick him out of here and let him go back to his booth to answer questions. It looks like he's got to line up from here. So, perry, thank you so much for taking your time on this busy morning.
Speaker 17:Wes thanks for having me, Perry. Thank you very much. You guys have all been listening to the American Tone Recovery Institute podcast Wes Wilburn and DJ Harry.
Speaker 18:I want to thank all our listeners for listening, click, like and enjoy. Be safe out there there and God bless.