Leaders discuss views of tragedy

CHARLESTON --- Less than 30 minutes after the explosion at Imperial Sugar Co. plant in Port Wentworth, CEO John Sheptor made three phone calls to company officers. One was to his general counsel, another was to his technology chief and a third call went to Kay Hastings, then the senior vice president of human resources based in Texas.

She immediately traveled from her office in Texas to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, where 75 family members were already visiting loved ones injured in the explosion that would ultimately kill 14 people. As she described it, her team began "taking care of the families."

That meant setting up telephone hotlines, coordinating blood drives and conveying benefits information.

"There was never a question about people first," Ms. Hastings told more than 100 attendees of the Joseph M. Still Burn Symposium at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston on Friday, one day before the one-year anniversary of the tragedy.

"It empowered our team to do the right thing," she said.

Ms. Hastings said human resources staff was at the center seven days a week for the first three months and then a few days a week until September, when the last patient was sent home.

Her team was also busy talking with insurance providers, helping families connect with burn experts and helping recovering employees get involved in community outreach programs. They organized a private hospital facility for Imperial victims so their flood of well-wishers, flowers and gifts didn't crowd the general hospital waiting rooms.

Three hotlines were set up: one for internal company officials to communicate, an emergency line that had been used in hurricanes Katrina and Ike for employees, and a third for families of the deceased to inquire about funeral arrangements and get information about benefits.

Ms. Hastings, now a human resources consultant for the company, said she feels "gratefulness for the collective support of the communities of Savannah and Augusta."

Her reflections Friday were part of a joint presentation with Mr. Sheptor, who recounted what it was like to be at the refinery at the time of the explosion.

Mr. Sheptor told attendees, "I have been humbled beyond what I can describe."

During his speech, Mr. Sheptor said he would advocate for the state of Georgia to fund trauma centers and praised the effects that his upbringing in a 3,000-person, blue-collar town had on his response to the tragedy.

Reach Sarita Chourey at (803) 727-4257 or schourey@morris.com.