Envolva sua empresa na recuperação pós-desastre

A temporada de inundações em muitas áreas vai da primavera ao verão. Inundações também podem ocorrer quando a neve derrete. Chuvas fortes e tempestades podem causar o transbordamento de rios e sistemas de drenagem.

Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and hurricanes and other tropical storms can cause devastating wind and water damage.

At the time of this 2020 article, NOAA had estimated that flooding on the Mississippi River and its tributaries caused $6.2 billion in damage in 2019. NOAA’s later billion-dollar disaster tally put the 2019 flooding on the Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas rivers at about $20 billion.

Every year, disasters like these cause severe damage, and they also create a lot of work for companies that provide post-disaster recovery services. By expanding your business into post-disaster recovery and remediation, you can help your community and grow your business.

As fases da gestão de desastres

A FEMA define a gestão de emergências como um ciclo, de modo que uma comunidade está sempre em pelo menos uma fase. As quatro fases são mitigação, preparação, resposta e recuperação.

A mitigação envolve a prevenção ou redução do impacto de desastres. Exemplos incluem:

• Fixação de casas e edifícios em suas fundações para resistir a ventos fortes.
• Construção de diques e canais de drenagem e plantio de vegetação para controlar inundações.

A preparação inclui planejamento de recuperação, treinamento e educação para eventos climáticos que não podem ser mitigados. Por exemplo:

• Desenvolvendo planos de recuperação comunitária.
• Praticar planos por meio de exercícios e simulações.

A fase de resposta ocorre imediatamente após um desastre. Exemplos incluem:

• Executar planos de resposta a desastres.
• Realização de missões de busca e salvamento.

A fase de recuperação pode levar muito mais tempo e deve ser realizada em conjunto com as atividades normais do dia a dia. Exemplos de atividades de recuperação incluem:

• Cuidando dos doentes e feridos.
• Reparar e substituir estruturas danificadas.

The mitigation and recovery phases offer the most potential for contract remediation work.

Entrando na recuperação pós-desastre

There are never enough resources in a disaster, so there’s usually room for another contractor to help with recovery. Here’s how to get started.

Primeiro, prepare você e sua equipe:

• Avalie a experiência da sua equipe em tarefas de recuperação e restauração.
• Are you licensed to do home improvement work in your state? Some states require a contractor’s license to perform water remediation. Check with your state and county governments for their requirements.
• Develop your team’s scope of work to cover the full range of recovery services.
• You can get training and certification from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the nonprofit certifying body for the cleaning and restoration industry.

Next, get equipped. Buy high-quality equipment that can run reliably for days or even weeks at a time. Air movers and dehumidifiers are essential for water damage remediation. You’ll also need at least one high-quality moisture meter that can check moisture in wood and other materials. You’ll use it to find areas with excess moisture and to determine when materials are dry enough.

Os medidores de Wagner Orion^® 950 measures the moisture content of wood quickly and accurately, and it can also check non-wood materials in relative mode. Its features include:

• Fast moisture content readings that take only seconds, so you can take as many readings as you need.
• An On-Demand Calibrator, so you can check the meter’s calibration yourself instead of returning it to the factory.
• Dual-depth measurements at ¼” and ¾” depths for measuring wood from floors to framing.
• Coleta de dados em modo manual ou automático, com armazenamento para até 100 leituras.
• Bluetooth^® connection to the free Woodshop MC™ and FloorSmart™ mobile apps for Android and Apple devices, so you can record and organize job-specific readings.
• A built-in ambient temperature and humidity sensor.
• A relative mode for non-wood materials such as drywall, so you can compare moisture levels and find trouble spots.

Obtenção de contratos de recuperação pós-desastre

Once you’re ready, there are two main ways to find work: insurance company referrals in the private sector, and becoming a government contractor.

Contratação por meio de indicações de seguradoras

Existem duas maneiras de abordar as seguradoras.

Primeiro, você pode divulgar sua empresa diretamente para seguradoras locais e nacionais. Lembre-se de duas coisas:

• A solid online presence is essential. Get a professionally designed website and a LinkedIn profile.
• Price your services competitively and do your best work. Remember, you’re not the only contractor in town.

The other way to approach insurance companies is to get listed with a directory of insurance claim contractors. These providers will register you, set up your profile, and send you referrals from insurance companies for claims. Homeowners who have filed an insurance claim and are looking to hire a contractor directly can also find you there.

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Tornando-se um contratante do governo

If you want to take on larger jobs, consider becoming a government contractor.

There are two main routes: getting a GSA (General Services Administration) Schedule contract through GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), or doing work funded by FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program.

Tornando-se um contratante da GSA

The GSA is the acquisition arm of the federal government. It buys goods and services from the private sector for government agencies and the military.

A GSA Schedule contract is a long-term contract that government buyers can order from. You can learn how to get started at gsa.gov.

The GSA Schedule process can be complex and time-consuming, but you don’t have to do it alone. APEX Accelerators (formerly called Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, or PTACs) offer free counseling to businesses that want to sell to the government. You can find your local center through the National APEX Accelerator Alliance.

Programa de Subsídios de Assistência Pública da FEMA

After a disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides Public Assistance grants to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and certain private nonprofits. Disaster remediation contractors benefit from these funds when they’re hired to perform the work the grants pay for.

To position yourself for this work, register in the System for Award Management at SAM.gov and opt in to its Disaster Response Registry, which contracting officers check when they need disaster relief contractors. Registering in SAM is free, and your local APEX Accelerator can help you with the process at no cost.

Finally, be proactive and set up “call when needed” agreements with your local city and county emergency management departments. They’re usually glad to have more resources lined up.

Visite a FEMA Assistência pública page for complete program information.

Conclusão

Disaster recovery work is a way to serve your community and grow your business. With the right training, equipment, and registrations in place, you’ll be ready when the next disaster strikes.

Compre medidores de umidade Orion

Larry Loffer

Larry Loffer é técnico sênior na Wagner Meters, onde possui mais de 30 anos de experiência em medição de umidade da madeira. Formado em Sistemas de Computação, Larry atua no desenvolvimento de hardware e software para soluções de medição de umidade da madeira.

Última atualização em 13 de outubro de 2026