Challenge

On a rainy evening in April, Developmental Disabilities State Plan Coordinator Brian Dahl went to pick up an ADA van from the DES Tumwater location. His agency, the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council, was hosting two events over the next three days and he wanted to be prepared to transport guests with disabilities between the hotel, event locations, the Amtrak station, and SeaTac.

When he retrieved the key from the automated key box, he quickly realized the fob didn’t work. He picked up a replacement at Fleet headquarters, but that didn’t solve the problem. Fleet staff went to him and jump started the van, but over time, Brian realized something just wasn’t right.

“I exited the freeway and began making calls to DES and my agency,” he said. “From there, coordination happened behind the scenes between DES, Commerce and others. Eventually a rental van was secured, which I understand is not a simple process given billing, insurance, and logistics.”

Solution

When it became clear Brian needed an alternative solution a team of DES employees across multiple programs came together fast. They began calling vendors right up against closing time and located an available vehicle at the eleventh hour.

From there, the coordination between programs was seamless. Staff from the DES Fleet Operations team connected with the Risk Management team who moved with urgency to work with the state’s insurance broker to secure the required certificate of insurance. Within an hour, and just before the rental shop closed, everything was finalized and Brian was back on track. Fleet staff, however, stayed on standby until they knew the situation was resolved.

Outcome

Brian picked up the van near SeaTac that evening and was ready to transport guests attending a History and Visioning event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Council. The guests were there to share stories, honor the Council’s history, and explore what the future can look like for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

“I want to emphasize how much I appreciate the responsiveness and commitment from DES,” he said. “Problems happen. What matters is how people respond, and your team showed up.”