disaster recovery

Fighting the Mold Menace
Under Pokludas guidance, BELFOR developed a remediation assessment
and detailed scope of work. '"Containment is a major aspect of remediation projects, he stated. "In the case of harmful molds such as Stachybotrys, strict protocols must be adhered to or you risk further contamination, increased costs, longer remediation timelines, and business interruption. At BELFOR, we follow these protocols precisely.

In areas where Stachybotrys is growing, a containment area with negative air pressure must be built around it to keep mold spores from traveling. All furnishings and room contents must be HEPA-vacuumed, decontaminated with biocides, and sealed inside plastic until the entire structure is Stachybotrys-safe. In many cases, carpeting and flooring must be removed, then decontaminated or discarded using strict guidelines.

Quake Shakes Seattle. BELFOR Responds.

Seattle, Washington. At 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2001 an earthquake shook the Puget Sound region to its foundations, hitting 6.8 on the Richter scale. As people fled their buildings, BELFOR was already preparing to respond to the initial wave of emergencies.

Kurt Daviscourt, president of BELFOR, was well into another busy day at his office in Seattle. "When the vibrations began, I was probably like everyone else, wondering what was going on," he said. "Within 30 seconds, I got my answer - we had a rolling quake.

Windows vibrated, items pitched off shelves, and pictures fell off the wall. Daviscourt jumped into the doorway for protection and called into the third-floor hallway for employees to get under desks or hallways as available. During the few minutes of chaos, Daviscourt witnessed ceiling tiles falling out of the grid system and light bulbs bursting.

Historic Reconstruction in Walla Walla 

Walla Walla, Washington. Built in 1906, the Denny Building is a Walla Walla landmark whose tenants include an insurance business as well as legal, pal estate, accounting, and architectural offices. Around 5 p.m. February 11, 2001, a fire started on the third floor. It quickly spread throughout the building, owned by a partnership of four insurance agents. By the tin the fire department arrived, all they could do was fight the fire from the outside and try to contain it.

They finally succeeded at 11 p.m., monitoring the fire throughout the night. In Spokane, BELFOR project manager Chris Duggan was preparing for a business trip when he received the call about the fire. He picked up Eric Rasmussen, assistant project manager, and headed for Walla Walla to find out how BELFOR could help. Arriving at the Denny Building, they found the owners watching with overwhelming dismay. The building had been doused in 1.5 million gallons of water and the damage was so extensive that it seemed highly unlikely the structure could be saved.