2021 First Quarter Job of the Quarter

4/7/2021 (Permalink)

Pittsburgh is no stranger to freezing cold, intense storms during the winter season. Texas, on the other hand, does not usually experience deep freezes or severe winter weather. That’s why, when February hit Texas with Winter Storm Uri, business owners and homeowners didn’t know where to turn for assistance. Our job is to dive headfirst into situations just like these, prepared to help overwhelmed homeowners and businesses pick up the pieces. As soon as the call came in about the storm damage sustained at the Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Denton, we loaded up our specialized storm damage restoration equipment and hit the road for Texas. Our crew began difficult work 1500 miles from home, unsure of when they would be able to return, which makes their successful job well done all the more admirable and worthy of being deemed our “Job of the Quarter.”

Storm Damage at the ICCS

We received a call one Friday morning in February from an adjuster, relaying information about the Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Denton, Texas and the storm damage inflicted upon the school by Winter Storm Uri. Even though the school was more than a twenty hour drive away from home, we knew that the ICCS was in need of immediate help. We had a significant number of tasks on our plate, ranging from removing over one-inch of water damage and installing drywall and carpeting in classrooms and hallways to fixing broken pipes. The most daunting task, however, would involve removing and replacing the entire gym floor, which had sustained water damage. In order to meet every one of the school’s needs, we utilized our specialized storm damage remediation equipment, which included two desiccant humidifiers and fifty fans, in addition to enlisting the help of ten temp workers to further strengthen our team. We knew that the road to the finish line wouldn’t be easy, but our crew kept chugging along, illustrating their hard work, flexibility, and resilience.

Challenges Faced

We strive to make it “Like it never even happened,” for our customers and, in order to do so, we are dedicated to working quickly. In the case of the ICCS job, our need to complete the job as quickly as possible was further emphasized by the fact that the school was still in session throughout the entire process. In order to complete the job in a timely manner, eight to twelve members of our crew were working tirelessly every day that we were onsite. In this way, we were successful in managing our time, completing our processes of demolition and drying within eight days. This feat was even more impressive considering that we were tasked with relocating six classrooms worth of contents to makeshift storage solutions and, throughout the process, our team took measures to minimize the noise levels of our work.

Our Team Is Resilient

Placing such difficult and physically demanding work on our crew members’ to-do lists, the ICCS job was challenging, especially when considering that we were 1500 miles from Pittsburgh and unsure of when we would be able to return home. Considering the obstacles that our team encountered, their ability to meet SERVPRO’s high standards was commendable and deserve celebration. We’d like to give a special shoutout to Jamie for his leadership in production after initial evaluations were completed. He was meticulous in taking inventory of the school’s storm damage and cataloging the team’s work. With Jamie’s oversight, our crew members kept on top of the mitigation and demolition processes and we were able to meet the school’s specific needs.

Trust SERVPRO’s Emergency Storm Response

Our SERVPRO of Metro Pittsburgh East team is here for you or your customer, whether your storm damage is large-scale like the ICCS job or something smaller. With our years of experience traveling across the country and remediating storm damage of all kinds, we have seen the extent to which storms can wreak havoc on not only homes and businesses, but also on the lives of those who live or work in them. We understand the need to react quickly in order to minimize damage, which is reflected in our motto, “Faster to Any Disaster,” and our 24-Hour Emergency Services. Give us a call immediately at (412) 672-5400 for our trusted Storm Restoration Services, as well as professional Rebuild Services. As a member of SERVPRO’s Disaster Recovery Team, which pools together the resources of SERVPRO franchises nationwide, SERVPRO of Metro Pittsburgh East is capable of responding to storm damage emergencies across the country, no matter the size or scope. We do not wish for another storm comparable to Winter Storm Uri, but in the event that you or your customer experiences storm damage, remember that SERVPRO of Metro Pittsburgh East is standing by and looking forward to the opportunity to help make it “Like it never even happened.”