In times of national crisis, ordinary days are transformed into moments that demand extraordinary action. At Sprague, serving our customers has always remained our top priority for our customers, employees, and local communities. This commitment has guided our actions in the face of some of the most challenging events in recent American history, including the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Sandy. Sprague has been there through these difficult times, ensuring that critical services remain operational and supporting the heroic efforts of first responders, governmental agencies, and critical commercial businesses.
9/11: Fueling Ground Zero and Beyond
The morning of September 11, 2001, started like any other day. But as the tragic events unfolded, it quickly became clear that nothing would be the same. Within hours of the attacks, Sprague was called to action. As chaos ensued in New York City, our team set up a temporary fueling station near Ground Zero, a 12,000-gallon truck equipped with a stationary pump that would be refilled throughout the day. A local park was repurposed to ensure that the NYPD, emergency responders, and other critical services had the fuel they needed to carry out their operations.
In addition to transportation fuels, the NYPD requested increased quantities of jet fuel supply for the NYPD helicopters, unsure of how much would be needed for what was initially believed to be a rescue operation. But as the days turned into weeks, it became clear that this would be a long-term recovery effort. For months, Sprague remained at Ground Zero, providing the fuel that kept the city as operational as possible, while supporting cleanup efforts.
Photograph by ShutterWorx.
One particularly important moment came when the New York Mercantile Exchange needed to reopen the commodities future exchange. They turned to Sprague to fuel their emergency power, and our team coordinated with our NYPD contact, coincidentally named, Lieutenant Diesel, working tirelessly to ensure that one of the world’s most important financial institutions could reopen in the wake of the tragedy.
Sprague’s involvement extended beyond Ground Zero. We worked closely with governmental agencies, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Office of Emergency Management, providing emergency fuel deliveries and updating fuel statuses regularly. “We had a call every 6 hours to provide fuel supply updates throughout the night,” shared Barry Panicola, Director of Transportation at Sprague. The New York City Transit Authority also relied on Sprague to keep the city’s transportation system running smoothly, even as the situation on the ground remained dire.
Hurricane Sandy: Responding to Another Crisis
A little over a decade later, New York City faced another disaster—Hurricane Sandy, also referred to as Super Storm Sandy. The storm’s devastation was widespread, particularly in seaside communities across the Jersey Shore, New York City, Long Island, and further into New England, which covers a large portion of our footprint.
Super Storm Sandy triggered the most severe fuel crisis in New York City’s history. With terminals and retail locations damaged or offline, fuel was in critically short supply. Initially, fuel was transported down from Newburgh, NY and New Haven, CT while the local terminals were being repaired. Sprague and its contractors worked to quickly put our terminals back in service. In order to allow our employees to continue to serve our customers, Sprague assembled crews of employees from outside the New York metropolitan area to bring supplies, clean out debris caused by water/storm damage, and perform minor repairs to employees’ homes who lived in areas affected by Sandy.
Despite the challenges, Sprague delivered over 60% more fuel than normal during this shortage crisis. We worked alongside the NYC Fleet at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the NY National Guard, and private retailers like Hess to establish a massive fuel-sharing operation. This unprecedented effort kept the city’s critical emergency and essential assets on the road, ensuring that law enforcement, ambulances, transit, utility vehicles, municipal services, and other essential services could continue to operate. Additionally, Sprague worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), serving as an outpost to ensure fuel reached the hardest-hit areas.
The fuel deliveries during Sandy were critical to the city’s recovery efforts. From fueling NYPD sites to supporting the National Guard’s missions to bring fuel directly to residents and municipalities in coastal areas, Sprague’s efforts contributed to helping New York get back on its feet.
A Legacy of Service
Sprague’s history includes moments of crisis where we’ve risen to the occasion. From our distribution efforts supporting Allied troops during the World Wars, to our emergency fuel deliveries following 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy, we have remained committed to supporting our customers and communities when they need it most. Our actions during these difficult times reflect our belief in the power of service and our dedication to our country.
As we remember the lives lost and the heroes who emerged during these crises, we are proud of the role we played in helping New York City recover and rebuild. We stand ready to serve again, whenever and wherever we are needed.
Explore our About Sprague page to discover Sprague’s rich history in shaping American energy and see how we’re making a positive impact in communities today.
