Real Customer Service Rep
Serving San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and the Santa Rosa Area
Real Customer Service Rep
Serving San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and the Santa Rosa Area
As one of the company’s owners, I took my first three-day vacation in three years just after Christmas. Frank, our other owner, was on leave. Suddenly, my phone exploded with calls from frantic customers who could not get through on our 800 number. Puzzled, I called the office. No one had time to talk – so I came home.
We were receiving ten times our normal call volume. Customers were panicking, and our dispatchers were overwhelmed. As a relatively small restoration company, we decided to prioritize property managers, facility managers, and contractors with whom we had an established working relationship. Internet callers went onto a waiting list that grew to more than 100 people.
When the storm finally passed, we had reached every job sent by our property managers. During the next severe weather event, we will do the same: prioritize you and your fellow professionals.
We also want to help you prepare. The goal is not simply to prevent every possible leak. It is to identify vulnerabilities, assemble the right response team, and make sure everyone knows what to do when water enters a building. The worst time to begin looking for an emergency restoration company, roofer, or plumber is after the rain as already started.
Property managers should have a prequalified team that includes:
Confirm that each vendor provides emergency service, understands your buildings, and has current license and insurance documentation where applicable.
A master service agreement with a restoration company such as Fire & Water Damage Recovery can eliminate valuable administrative delays during an emergency. Before signing, make sure the agreement clearly addresses:
Fire & Water Damage Recovery provides mitigation and restoration services but does not perform reconstruction. This helps avoid a potential conflict of interest: we have no financial incentive to make a loss larger in order to obtain a reconstruction project.
A master agreement cannot guarantee immediate availability during a widespread disaster, but it allows the response company to understand your organization, properties, and authorization process before the first emergency call. Educate your staff in advance of your emergency response protocols.
Arrange for a qualified roofing professional inspect:
Remove leaves, dirt, trash, and vegetation from roofs and gutters. Confirm that water can travel freely through every downspout and that it discharges away from the building.
Safety Note: Never send untrained employees or vendors onto a wet roof. Emergency roof inspections and tarping should be performed by qualified professionals using appropriate fall protection.
A clean roof drain will not solve the problem if the water has nowhere to go after it reaches the ground. Before the rainy
season:
San Francisco advises clearing leaves and debris from sidewalks and storm drains before storms. Non-life-threatening
flooding, clogged catch basins, and sewer backups within the city can be reported through dialing 311.
Most of San Francisco is served by a combined sewer system. Rainwater entering street drains flows into the same
network of pipes that carries wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers, laundry, and businesses.
During an intense storm, runoff can exceed the system’s capacity. Combined water may surcharge – or rise back up –
through catch basins, manholes, floor drains, and plumbing connections. Water backing up from a San Francisco street or
sewer system may therefore contain sewage, chemicals, bacteria, and other contaminants. It should never be assumed to
be ordinary stormwater.
When combined-system water enters or threatens a property:
Even after visible water is gone, contamination may remain beneath flooring, inside walls, in elevator pits, or in other
concealed areas. A sewer backup requires different protective measures and cleaning procedures than a typical rainwater
leak.
Do not remove drain covers or enter flooded areas to clear a drain while water is actively rising. Floodwater may conceal electrical hazards, contaminate water, open drains, and unstable surfaces.
Wind-driven rain can enter through failed sealants, window systems, wall penetrations, and exterior cracks. Inspect:
Pay particular attention to the sides of the building that receive the strongest wind and to areas where leaks have occurred
previously.
Identify what could be damaged if water entered the lowest level of the property. Move or elevate:
Review the location of electrical panels, boilers, fire-alarm equipment, domestic-water controls, elevator equipment, and IT
systems. If critical equipment is below grade, consult the appropriate specialist about barriers, alarms, drainage, or
relocation.
Test emergency lighting, backup batteries, and generators. Generators must never be operated inside a building, garage,
or other enclosed area because of the danger of carbon monoxide. Follow manufacturer instructions and applicable fire
and electrical requirements.
For each property, prepare a one-page storm response sheet containing:
Store this information electronically so it remains accessible when the management office is closed or without power.
Appropriate on-site personnel should also have a copy.
Decide in advance who will monitor forecasts, inspect properties, contact vendors, communicate with tenants, authorize
work, photograph damage, notify ownership and insurance, maintain the incident log, and coordinate building access.
Make sure employees understand the difference between observing a problem and entering a potentially unsafe area. No
employee should enter standing water when electrical or contamination hazards may be present. No employee should
direct a resident to enter an area where an electrical or contamination hazard may exist. A brief tabletop exercise can
expose missing phone numbers, unclear authority, and access problems before a real emergency occurs.
The National Weather Service distinguishes between a flood watch – conditions are favorable for flooding – and a flood warning, which means flooding is imminent or occurring. A warning requires immediate action.
Protecting people comes first.
Water can travel behind walls, under flooring, and through ceiling assemblies. Professional moisture inspection and
documentation can help identify the extent of the problem and reduce the chance of hidden damage or mold growth.
Water from a sewer backup, exterior flooding, or another contaminated source requires additional precautions. It must not
be treated like clean rainwater.
Property managers cannot control the weather, but they can control how prepared their buildings and teams are. A cleared
drain, tested sump pump, current emergency contact list, and prearranged vendor agreement may seem like small details
during dry weather. During a large regional storm, those details can determine whether an incident remains manageable or
becomes a major loss.
Fire & Water Damage Recovery works with property and facility managers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to
prepare for and respond to water, fire, smoke, mold, and biohazard emergencies. Because we do not perform
reconstruction, our focus remains on emergency mitigation, careful documentation, and returning the property to safe
occupancy.
The best time to assemble your response team is before the first call comes in.
*General information only: Building conditions vary. Roofing, electrical, plumbing, elevator, structural, and
hazardous-condition work should be performed by qualified professionals.*
F&WDR is a family-owned and operated local company with four locations to insure a quicker response and better service to San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Santa Rosa.
