If you are in need of fire damage restoration services, then you expect immediate recovery. We are a fire damage restoration company and we respond immediately in helping you reduce your losses and immediately return your home and/or business back to normalcy from fire and smoke damage and/or water damage. We specialize in reconstruction and restoration of charred, smoked, and damaged goods. We are experts at effectively salvaging your belongings, using patented chemically specific solutions throughout the fire recovery process.

• Clean formica, chrome, porcelain and aluminum fixtures to prevent permanent tarnishing or etching.
• Change the air filter on your furnace if it uses forced hot air.
• Tape damp cheesecloth over returns and supply registers to capture loose soot in the air.
• Discard any open food packages.
• If the electricity is off, clean out the refrigerator and leave doors propped open.
• Send clothing with heavy smoke damage to a qualified restoration dry cleaner.

What NOT to DO:

• Do not touch anything. Oil from your hands can permeate upholstery, walls and woodwork, causing additional damage.
• Do not wash walls. Incorrect cleanffing could compound the soot residue.
• Do not attempt to clean carpets or upholstered furniture.
• Do not use electrical appliances until having them checked.
• Do not use ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet.

Water damage in home or business can come from something as obvious as burst pipes and flood to something not as obvious such as a water leak. Your homeowner policy most likely covers water damage that can be caused by leaky appliances, burst pipes, flood, sewage backup, and more.

When you have Water Disaster, you should DO the following:

• Call at ServiceMaster by Alpha Restoration 305-899-1600 immediately. Damage from water and bacteria growth can begin with hours.
• Remove as much water as possible by mopping and blotting
• Remove wet area rugs or other floor coverings.
• Lift draperies off the floor, loop through a coat hanger and place the hanger on the drapery rod.
• Wipe furniture, prop up wet furniture cushions for even drying and place aluminum foil under furniture legs.
  
  

When you have Water Disaster, you should NOT DO the following:

• Do not enter a room with standing water until electricity has been turned off.
• Do not use a regular household vacuum to remove water.
• Do not lift tacked-down carpet without professional help.
• Do not use electrical appliances while on wet carpet or flooring.
• Do not disturb visible mold.

Together they walked the building, and began preparing an initial scope of work, analyzing what was needed in terms of man-power, equipment and supplies.

That evening, Brad called Memphis and briefed representatives at the Home Office on the conditions of the job. Shortly after the call, Corrine Trentman, Mike Weldon, and Pete Duncanson began loading a trailer with initial supplies. Corrine and Mike were on the road by 3 o'clock that morning. For three days, Belinda Rogers, assisted by Jeff Jackson, Dixie Mehrens, and other members of the Disaster Restoration department; Market Managers; and Regional Offices fielded an overwhelming number of calls from franchise owners wanting to assist in the clean-up process. It was comforting to know the compassion of the people filling our network- people willing to step up and serve in any way they could. On Thursday, Bob McDonell, Director of Product Sales and Distributing, arranged for a semi-truck to leave from North Aurora with additional supplies and support.

The importance of this job also prompted Mike Isakson, President and COO; Doug Pound, Senior Vice-President of Operations; and Jeff Coulter, Vice-President of Disaster Restoration, to leave for the site Thursday evening. "We never had a doubt that our owners and technicians, under the leadership of Brad and his amazing staff, would do an outstanding job," remarked Jeff Coulter. "We went to Washington to show our support and to thank the ServiceMaster Clean family members for the work that was being done at the site."

By Friday morning, September 14, ServiceMaster Clean, fully staffed and supplied, was a strong service force in our nation's capital.

Magnitude of the Moment

If you can imagine the magnitude of the structure that greeted the technicians arriving on the scene, you will understand the awesome nature of this job. Not only was it amazing in size, encompassing over three million square feet, but also in historical significance to our country. The portraits, letters and memorabilia of past and present military and government leaders adorn the walls, reminders you of our country's great leadership. Just knowing that history is in the making, and you are a part of it, leaves you in awe.

The logistics of moving groups of this size in an organized fashion, coupled with the continuous changes in plans due to security clearance and safety issues, make the job extremely dynamic. The Pentagon is a building that is filled with military officials, war plans, and the possibility of a presidential visit at any moment. Understanding the bureaucracy and intense security issues involved, makes everyone associated with the restoration effort flexible and more understanding of the daily changes.

Our ServiceMaster Clean team remains flexible and willing to adjust plans to meet with security requests. The Pentagon stands amazed at our efficient organization and how quickly we responded to these changes.

ServiceMaster Clean Goes to Work

On Wednesday, as our yellow vans entered the Pentagon gates, they were spotted by Peter Jennings of ABC News. He announced our arrival to the nation, signifying that the Pentagon was wasting no time in returning to the business at hand. Initially, there were close to 40 technicians from local offices who started the cleaning process. Meanwhile, another 200 technicians were on their way. Two 10-hour shifts worked feverishly to get the job underway as quickly as possible.

With one of the main hotels housing technicians nearly to an hour drive away, a major challenge facing the crews is the transport time, not only from the hotel to the job site, but from the job site to the Pentagon itself. Shift schedules allow for two hours of transport, dropping off the day crew, and picking up the night crew. Initially, Brad managed the day crew, while Jim Wills, Director of Disaster Restoration Commercial Marketing, managed the evening crew.

Although enthusiasm is high due to the incredible nature of the location of the job, it is somewhat curbed by the metal detectors, security checks and entrance changes. At times, this can create a wait of up to three hours for crews to simply enter the building. In the beginning, it was essential to have every five crew members escorted by a guard until adequate clearance passes were obtained from the government. Even simple tasks, such as refreshing water, were a group effort. If one member needed to leave the area, all members were required to go ensuring each could remain in constant sight of the guard. It is easy to imagine how this supervised effort could slow down the work pace. The remote location of the job trailer from the Pentagon, coupled with walking within the Pentagon to their designated cleaning areas, was not a case of walking a few feet - it was more like walking several miles.

Overall, the more than 244 ServiceMaster Clean representatives on site are receiving a refresher course in the meaning of teamwork. One person commented, "We did have a moment of frustration from the extreme mental and physical strain. It is times like this that the power of prayer and the ability to humble ourselves to fellow workers shows our continued dedication to our first objective." It isn't about individuals, it is about the power of our combined strengths and a unified team effort.

Although the restoration itself is not that difficult, the crews are working around 23,000 to 25,000 Pentagon employees who are also conducting their daily work of providing security for our nation. Employees, from the Secretary of Defense to the guards, immediately continued their daily tasks, but it was clear there was a heightened respect for their fellow workers and the jobs they are faced with. One can only assume that in the back of their minds lives the thought that it could have been any of their offices in the attack path. Knowing this, their dedication to return was even more inspiring to those on our crews.

Because Brad and Jerry were needed back in Memphis to begin plans for the New York recovery, Brad called upon Crystal Smith and Ron Long, two trusted leaders for ServiceMaster Recovery Management. Their capable hands continue to coordinate and inspire the crews still working in our nation's capital.

The clean-up effort is an ongoing process, and regardless of when workers return to their franchises, their hearts and admiration will stay with those in the Pentagon for a long time.

Service, Honor, Commitment

The clean-up at the Pentagon, and the situation in our country, is not over. This experience has taught our entire family valuable lessons about our duties to our country, our business, our customers, and to one another. We call on each of you to keep our leadership and our country in your prayers.

To our owners, we greatly appreciate your help more than words can express. Your quick action to volunteer yourselves and your technicians showed your dedication to our company and the faith you possess in our service. Many of you called, but due to the limitations of the job, every willing body was not able to join us in Washington. Let it be said that as much as we appreciate those who are working on the site, we also appreciate the large number of owners who offered support through prayers and their willingness to remain in their market to be called if needed.

There is still more work to be done, and it is likely that we will be calling for additional help in the future with the buildings in New York. New York will be more challenging, because the damage is more residual and widespread. It is comforting to know that you will continue to rise up and volunteer.

"I can't begin to name the many people who were there both at the start and through the process," says Brad. "Owners who offered support and technicians will never know the level of appreciation I have for their actions. Every person on this job is important to our success, and I hesitate to give names because no one deserves to be left out." A complete list recognizing all of those involved will appear in a future publication.

ServiceMaster is honored to be entrusted with this monumental task, and continues to focus on the challenges ahead. In times of crisis it is important to lean on those whom you consider family. There was a feeling that when the call was sent, it wasn't just one group or one franchise, it was our entire family together. We are proud to serve our country. Your service, honor, and commitment make us proud to call each of you family. God bless you, and God bless America.