First Restoration Services >> The Calm After the Storm

Loss Description:
September 11, 2001 will go down as one of the most tragic in the history of the United States. In the wake of the attacks of terrorists, the crash site at the Pentagon was in shambles. Massive amounts of water and chemicals were used to douse the fires that were burning.

Unique Issues:
Security precautions were in the extreme for the stricken site. It took three days to get the crew through the initial pentagon security clearances. Workers were brought to work daily thereafter in a van which went through several security checkpoints. Heavily armed guards, bomb sniffing dogs, under vehicle inspections were the norm.

Job Elements:
Mitigation: First Restoration Services worked in what is known as Wedge two - a 300,000 square foot area of the building immediately adjoining the damage portion of the Pentagon. First Restoration Services was called to service on September 25th to perform structural and contents drying and filtering the air of asbestos, lead paint and mold particles.

Project Recognition:
First Restoration Services was selected for this project for their known expertise in drying and indoor air quality and having the necessary amounts of large drying equipment. We are proud to be a part of this unique though humbling experience.

Loss Description:
Floods from Tropical Storm Allison 36" of rainfall brought Houston to it's knees in the early part of June, 2001. Twenty-two people died and damages were in excess of four billion dollars. First Restoration Services was called in by a an Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust. There were 1,384 damaged apartment units that were to be made livable once again. In addition to this major job, there were also seven medical facilities owned by a previous client that FRS was brought into for cleanup and restoration.

Unique Issues:

The apartments required major demolition. There were huge amounts of debris to be removed including non-salvageable tenant contents, drywall up to 4', carpet, cabinets, etc. Most of the 2nd floor tenants remained and had to be worked around with safety measures in full force. Criteria from IICRC Water Standards Manual was followed completely.

Hospital facilities are even more exacting and complex in cleaning out and sanitizing. These facilities would be under scrutiny from several federal and state agencies and held to a rigid guideline on cleaning

Job Elements:

Mitigation: All the structures worked on had to be assessed and quantified for water damage from: Roof Leaks, Wind Driven Rain, Raising Flood Waters, and Mold. Mitgation protocol was agreed upon depending on the amount of damage as well as the type of water damage - black, gray, or white. Black water damage was treated to the extreme of stripping the units to their framework...up to a 4' level, dry, sanitize, and seal all surfaces. Surface bacteria samples were done before and after to protect all parties.

Project Recognition:

First Restoration Services was selected for this project due to our reputation for responding quickly and our proven ability to handle complex losses requiring unique solutions.

Loss Description:
In December 2000, the Biltmore House in Asheville, N.C., experienced a fire in its carpenter shop. Smoke damage was extremely heavy in the main shop, paint booth area and finishing shop as well as other parts of the building and the HVAC units.

Two major concerns were the tools and machinery that would be needed for an anti-corrosive to wipe down the Decoration Storage area where seasonal decorations were stored. It was decided that the Biltmore House staff would perform the electrical repairs.

Unique Issues:
This unique historical structure created a situation where everything had to be viewed as "custom." Also, a plan had to be developed to build an air lock to protect the furniture shop once it was cleaned - while others areas were being cleaned. While some of the tools would be found in most carpentry shops, special bolts and fittings had to be cleaned versus replaced.

Job Elements:
Mitigation: In addition to cleaning the walls and ceilings due to smoke damage, a process needed to be set up to apply anti-corrosive lubrication and wipe down all tools and machinery. The FRS crews hand-cleaned ceilings, beams, bolts in a storage area, lighting fixtures and ducting.

Project Recognition:
First Restoration Services was selected for this project due to our reputation for responding quickly and our proven ability to handle complex losses requiring unique solutions.

"Torrent Disrupts FEMA,
Prince George's Social Services"

Loss Description:
On November 24, 2000, this nine story, 283,500-square-foot office building suffered damage due to a 2.5" sprinkler water supply line that burst in the seventh floor ceiling, disbursing 500,000 gallons of water throughout the building. This approximately 30-year-old building had been renovated at least twice, contributing to water disbursal due to a number of open pipe chases. Cable runs throughout each floor also created extensive water collection areas.

The offices in the building included solid wall offices along with a large number of office cubicles and dividers. In addition to the walls and office dividers experiencing water damage, contents and documents were also soaked.

This building was one of three identical buildings in the complex. Some of the issues that made this loss unique were the variety of tenants, which included FEMA (one of three facilities nationwide where financial assistance claims for disaster services are processed), Prince George's Community College, Prince George's County Department of Social Services and several other businesses. One floor was also in the process of being built out when the damage occurred.

Unique Issues:
Prolonged exposure to excessive moisture, possibly encouraging the flourishing of fungal or bacterial spores, was a concern. This necessitated involvement from teams of Industrial Hygienists and other experts by FEMA, First Restoration Services, Prince George's County, the State of Maryland, the building's insurance company and GSA.

Job Elements:
Phase I Mitigation: Two different emergency services companies were initially brought in and performed some water extraction during the first 24 hours. However, as the job progressed and the extent of the damage was further identified, FRS assumed responsibility for the entire structure.

Phase II Reconstruction: FRS worked with another company that performed the reconstruction once the building was dried and stabilized. FRS was able to dry the structure to a point where, in some areas, reconstruction costs were less than mitigation costs. These isolated areas were identified at the end of the drying process for the construction manager.

Project Recognition:
First Restoration Services was selected for this project due to our reputation for responding quickly and our proven ability to handle losses of such complexity and magnitude.

Loss Description:
This 80-bed health facility for the elderly, terminally ill and immunocompromised patients was affected by flooding from Hurricane Floyd. Not only had floodwater reached a height of 30 inches, efforts were further complicated by the backflow of waste from an upstream sewage treatment plant. The plant flooded, causing sewage to drain into the health facility.

This project had the most severe combination of class 3 black water and
medical biohazards that we have ever encountered. The requirements of the state and federal hospital authorities for re-occupancy were extremely rigid. By putting together a team of industry experts, we were able to meet all requirements of the owners and regulatory authorities within budget and time parameters.

Job Elements:
Phase I Mitigation: A major concern was that clearance sampling had to demonstrate a complete absence of mold spores specifically associated with water, water damage and potential mycotoxin production such as stachybotrys, trichoderma, fusarium, aspergillus flavus or aspergillus fumigatus. Once those issues were clarified, FRS performed de-flooding, drying out and initial decontamination of the entire structure to allow re-building assessments to be done safely. This portion of the project was also unusual in that the water did not recede completely for two weeks. Flood debris included backed up sewage, hospital medical waste, intravenous feeding solution, urine bags, sharp needles and rotted food. Mold and mildew were everywhere.

Phase II Reconstruction: FRS customized a unique process whereby biohazard containment, cleanup and sanitizing of the entire facility was performed using a specific protocol. It involved a series of gas phase chlorine dioxide treatments, extensive mechanical removal of mold and bacterial growth including all dead mold, sealing and treatment with aegis anti-microbial shield. Restoration and rebuilding of the facility then commenced, meeting the requirements of all federal and state requirements for hospitals involving immunocompromised patients. This portion of the project was also unusual in that, prior to starting reconstruction, the building remained vacant for five months while teardown versus re-build restoration calculations were compared.

Project Recognition:
First Restoration Services has been selected by ASCR International to receive the Phoenix Award for 2000 in the category "Innovations in Reconstruction."