Job of the Quarter: Q1 2021

4/7/2021 (Permalink)

Intense winter storms that bring freezing temperatures and storm damage are not unlikely during the winter here in Harrisburg. In Texas, however, such weather events are not something you see everyday, which is what made this February’s Winter Storm Uri and deep freeze in Texas all the more unusual. Homes and commercial businesses across the state of Texas were overwhelmed by the damage left by the storm and in serious need of assistance in order to get their lives back to normal. Acting on our responsibility to help those in need of our services, we were already preparing and packing our bags before we could hang up the phone on a call about the Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Dallas. Hitting the road and driving into an unknown situation 1500 miles away from home was no easy feat for our crew members, but their courage and passion to do whatever they could to help is what made this job worthy of our “Job of the Quarter” title.

Storm Damage at the ICCS

Our phones wrang on Friday, February 19th with news of the storm damage endured by Denton’s Immaculate Conception Catholic School. Overwhelmed by the numerous areas of storm and water damage left by the storm, the ICCS was in need of help fast. On our to-do list was a broken fire suppression pipe to fix and water damage of at least one-inch on the floors of multiple hallways and classrooms to remediate. Additionally, we were faced with the task of removing the ICCS’ damaged gym floor and replacing it with new flooring, as well as installing new drywall and carpeting in various classrooms and hallways. With so much to do in a short period of time, we pulled out all the stops, including fifty fans, two desiccant humidifiers, and we employed the additional assistance of ten temp workers. The work ahead would not be easy, but our team was resilient.

Challenges Faced

The storm itself had taken place over the course of five days, causing local homes and businesses to accumulate additional storm damage with each passing day. Our customer was relying on us to make it “Like it never even happened,” so we had to work even faster to restore the school’s storm damage. As a result, eight to twelve of our crew members worked speedily each day in order to condense our demolition and drying processes into just eight days. Placing even more pressure on our team was the fact that the school was in session while they were working, forcing them to keep noise levels at a minimum. Additionally, our crew was given the task of relocating six classrooms filled with contents to temporary storage locations.

Our Team Is Resilient

At the end of the day, it is also important to consider that our crew members were 1500 miles from home while working under such demanding conditions. Despite the challenges they faced, our team embodied the hallmarks of our company and should be celebrated for their admirable work. Jamie in particular took charge of the production portion of the job following initial evaluations. In addition to taking inventory of the damage and documenting the scope of the work, Jamie also made sure that the staff stayed on top of the necessary demolition and mitigation work. He successfully allocated the equipment needed for drying, as well as confirming that our work aligned with the school’s staff requirements onsite. 

Trust SERVPRO’s Emergency Storm Response

From large-scale winter storms like the Dallas storm to smaller, local storms any time of the year, our team here at SERVPRO of Harrisburg West can handle it all. We know how overwhelming storms of all kinds can be for homeowners and commercial businesses alike. Immediate help is guaranteed through our 24-Hour Emergency Services and our pledge to be “Faster to Any Disaster.” If your home or business needs storm remediation immediately, pick up the phone and call (717) 510-6779 for our professional Storm Restoration Services and Rebuild Services. Because SERVPRO Team Wall is a member of SERVPRO’s nationwide Disaster Recovery Team, we have access to storm damage resources all throughout the country, providing us the ability to handle any size job. While we hope that 2021 does not bring additional storms of the same caliber of severity as Winter Storm Uri, we look forward to future opportunities in which we can provide assistance to you or your client.