Lynden delivers relief supplies after Stebbins fire

Loading the Stebbins barge in Anchorage.

Lynden is known for responsive service and flexibility when schedules and circumstances change. A scheduled Alaska Marine Lines barge delivery for a housing project took a sharp turn when a fire destroyed the village school and teacher housing in Stebbins, AK. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a disaster for the village after the fire. “Construction company and customer Tapraq Rock sent an email asking us if we could help get supplies there quickly so they could rebuild the school by August,” explains Rick Kellogg, Alaska Marine Lines Pricing Logistics Analyst.

Rick and the Alaska Marine Lines team pulled together a quote within 24 hours and located a barge in Dutch Harbor that was already positioned for fish season. “They had about a week to round up a barge worth of cargo. They were bringing things in on sail day, but we got it loaded, lashed and on its way.” Cargo consisted of 17 modular units for use as classrooms and teacher housing, machinery, building materials and rolling stock (see photo).

Lynden Air Cargo also supported the effort with nine flights, moving over 300,000 pounds of construction materials, furniture and supplies for the school rebuild. “The Stebbins runway is too small for us to operate directly into, so we flew everything to nearby St. Michael’s, where the loads were then trucked to Stebbins,” says Nick Niziolek, Commercial Operations Manager.

The air and marine assistance was a mad dash, Rick says, with a short window of time to get cargo into the village to prepare for the 230 students starting school in August. “Although we could not divert our scheduled barge, the operations team came up with a solution to locate another barge and move quickly for this important project. They are the heroes of this story.” The Alaska Marine Lines team of Don Reid, TJ Vires, Brian Ward, Trevor Stephens and Bubba Miller put together the voyage of eight days from Anchorage to Nome for offloading, followed by five landing craft trips from Nome to Stebbins.

Tapraq Rock worked with Lynden and the Bering Strait School District on the coordination of materials to help the community rebuild by chartering a barge and purchasing equipment and supplies. “With only weeks when months were needed, any delay meant failure. It was no time to take chances on the logistics,” says Tapraq Rock Project Superintendent Dylan Saunders. “Alaska Marine Lines and Lynden Air Cargo, with proven records of getting things done in Alaska, were the obvious choice. On the scheduled start date, teachers welcomed children in the temporary school facilities. Lynden made it happen.”

“We have worked with other logistics companies, but when we remember times that we accomplished the impossible, things that no one else could do, that couldn’t be done, a recurring element is aircraft, vessels and equipment with AML and Lynden logos.”

This fall, Alaska Marine Lines added a special stop in Stebbins from its last Western Alaska voyage of the season to drop off six additional modular units.