{"id":1863,"date":"2015-01-15T14:05:18","date_gmt":"2015-01-15T20:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/pressrelease\/?p=1863"},"modified":"2015-01-15T14:05:18","modified_gmt":"2015-01-15T20:05:18","slug":"army-air-force-exchange-service-offers-full-service-refueling-to-drivers-with-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/pressrelease\/?p=1863","title":{"rendered":"Army & Air Force Exchange Service Offers Full-Service Refueling to Drivers With Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

DALLAS \u2013 <\/b>The Army & Air Force Exchange Service, with the support of U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, is adding a new system to gas stations on military installations worldwide to make it easier for drivers with disabilities to receive full-service fueling with the push of a button. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In 2014, after a request from the Army & Air Force Exchange Service and Duckworth, the Department of Defense authorized $1.12 million for installing <\/span>FuelCall assistance systems<\/span><\/a> at military service stations. All told, 370 facilities on Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps installations worldwide will receive FuelCall, which allows drivers with disabilities to contact associates inside the store for assistance at the pump through an oversized call button instead of honking their horn or flashing their headlights to get an attendant\u2019s attention. The call button can be reached through the driver\u2019s side window, so the driver can press it without exiting the vehicle, which can be difficult and dangerous.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"FP1\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cAll persons with disabilities, including thousands of returning veterans, active service members, as well as military families with physical disabilities, understand the difficulty of filling up their tanks at gas stations that are supposedly accessible,\u201d said Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost the use of her legs and partial use of her right arm after her helicopter was hit by an RPG in 2004. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWe must do better. The ability to drive independently is key to the American lifestyle,\u201d Duckworth said. \u201cEnsuring that disabled Americans can consistently and safely refuel their vehicles is critical to their ability to live independent and fulfilling lives. I applaud AAFES and the Department of Defense for their leadership on this issue, and I hope it serves as an example for gas station owners throughout our country.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>So far, 16 Army & Air Force Express stations, including locations at Scott Air Force Base, <\/span>Fort Belvoir<\/span><\/a> and Fort Meade, have installed FuelCall. Thirty-eight additional locations are scheduled to begin offering the service in January. Plans call for the system to be added to 215 Express locations in the U.S. and overseas by May.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When an Express location equipped with the system has more than one associate on duty, motorists with a disability license plate or placard may have their gas pumped for them. Signs clearly identify what pump islands have the system and list the hours the service is available. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Making gas stations accessible to drivers with disabilities is a priority,\u201d said Exchange Real Estate Vice President Michael Smietana. \u201cThis system allows wounded warriors and others with disabilities to easily get assistance at the pump without frustration.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is a joint non-appropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors which is responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force through the Service Chiefs of Staff. \u00a0The Exchange has the dual mission of providing authorized patrons with quality merchandise and services at competitively low prices and generating non-appropriated fund earnings as a supplemental source of funding for military morale, welfare and recreation programs. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at <\/span>http:\/\/www.shopmyexchange.com<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Media Notes:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Julie Mitchell, 214-312-3327 or mitchelljul@aafes.com.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\t

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