Commercial Case Studies

Last fall, Sherbrooke, Quebec, suffered from severe rain lasting for several days, with waters cresting more than 24 feet above the river-bed. The flood hit a majority of the Bishop’s University buildings both on and off campus, as well as nearby Champlain College. The water damage was extensive, with some students even using canoes to get around campus.

The flood also dealt a serious blow to the planning and orchestration of Bishop’s Centennial Theatre’s inaugural concert. By the time the waters started to recede, the theatre’s basement was under several feet of water.

The first show of the season was scheduled for the 15^th of October and our crews from FirstOnSite/Première Action had less than 2 weeks to get the theatre concert-ready. Not only did the show go on, but our teams continued to work around the clock and the theatre was ready to re-open completely for the following weekend. The Campus paper called it a miracle:

“ It’s a miracle! With the big, window-less trucks, vacuum tubes and sucking sounds, for a while there was some serious doubt about our poor Centennial Theatre. Would they be able to turn the power back on and get back in gear for the arrival of Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles on the 21^st? The answer is, yes. And they can do it despite the damage sustained during the now-infamous Deluge of 2010, which led students to coin the term, Lennoxvenice.”

Background

The executive management team of FirstOnSite met with the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia to discuss emergency management and our PREP Program in particular. A careful review of each of the venues was undertaken and it was agreed that FirstOnSite’s expertise would be most valuable serving the Olympic Village.

Millennium Properties reviewed the protocols and emergency preparedness plans from 3 local emergency services providers, and FirstOnSite was chosen as their primary provider. We then met with Millennium Properties and VANOC Venue Services to discuss and plan for the challenges that could be encountered during the games.

PREP Planning Approach

Our emergency response planning for the Olympic Village included numerous steps.

• Met with the Vancouver Police Department E-Ops in charge of traffic and lane closures/control
• Traveled and viewed all ingress and egress into and out of the city
• Conducted staff selection: Project Managers, construction, water damage and safety personnel
• Coordinated staff time rotations including identifying staff on-call solutions, so as to minimize exhaustion in the event of a major flood or incident unrelated to the Olympics
• Provided staff accreditation
• Conducted vehicle preparedness, including every conceivable item we thought may be necessary to quickly mitigate a loss, deal with the effects and remove ourselves from the location

As FirstOnSite was not an Olympic sponsor, we were not permitted to display any corporate branding of any kind. All company logos, including staff clothing and equipment had to be covered over before entering ANY venue location. We went to great lengths to accommodate this request.

Security Challenges

Security for the athletes was a priority. As a result, severe restrictions on items brought through the entry gates were imposed, and passage would be slow. It was determined that emergency equipment would need to enter prior to the event, and remain within the Village for the duration of the Games. A cube van was identified and loaded, and underwent exhaustive searches by Olympic security. The cube van acted as a mobile unit that could be activated throughout the Village in the case of a loss situation and return back to its secured area, never having to leave the premises. This worked out exceptionally well.

Post-2010 Winter Olympic Games

FirstOnSite was retained to provide continued emergency services, including repairs and remediation due to mould and odour control from venting issues and the reparation of ongoing losses unrelated to the Games.

In May 2009, a fire alarm was triggered and an alarm rang at the Rimouski fire department, requiring the assistance of two other fire departments (Bic and St-Anaclet).  The fire had started on the roof of the main building of the University of Rimouski, causing severe damage on 5 floors of 3 different wings.

The damaged areas included a lot of service areas (student and printing services), the bookstore, offices, and finance and human resources. This necessitated the restoration of over 3,000 boxes of student records and staff documents, furniture, and computer and electronic equipment.

In just 7 months, the building was reconstructed and fully operational. This is what Viateur Lavoie from the University of Rimouski had to say to FirstOnSite:

“When our University suffered a large fire in May 2009, I was truly impressed with the prompt response of FirstOnSite Restoration in controlling and coordinating the situation. After the disaster, they reacted swiftly by assembling skilled resources and specialty equipment for our conditions.

The actions undertaken by the crews were very important to the on-going operations of the university, and included the retrieval, processing and recovery of many of our documents, the cleaning and disinfection of our premises, and the timely demolition and reconstruction of affected spaces.

In conclusion, we greatly appreciated the professionalism, the know-how, the reliability and the courtesy of FirstOnSite Restoration.”

Dr. Frank R. faced devastation. A fire totally destroyed his building, livelihood and, sadly, killed numerous animals boarding at the hospital. With virtually nothing salvageable, Dr. R. set up a temporary location on Sackville Drive to conduct business until investigators were finished and a new building could be constructed.

Our crews were asked to sift through the debris and remove stainless steel kennels and expensive X-ray equipment as well as coordinate the freeze drying and preservation of sensitive records and computer data. Most of these items were taken to our warehouse, where they were properly assessed and analyzed.

Dr. R. consulted with a designer to create a new, state-of-the-art veterinary hospital, which would have every possible service available under one roof. It was decided that the hospital would be built on the original site and include such amenities as Holistic Medicine, Acupuncture, Dental Lab, Ultrasound, Pharmacy and an Intensive Care Ward, as well as usual services such as grooming and boarding. The building even included a drive-through window for customers to pick up their animals’ prescriptions.

In late December, plans were finalized and work commenced. The building footprint was 5,000 square feet, with a second story added which included a stand alone single-unit apartment, board room, offices and cafeteria.

Overall construction took approximately 7 months due to winter weather conditions, but the finished product was nothing short of magnificent. Every detail, from air handling to sterile environments, was carefully worked through and completed. Our crews (the former K.B. Clarke) used their own forces to complete framing, siding, millwork and other items, as well as coordinating 20 other sub-trades.

Special thanks must go out to Stephen H., Project Manager, Roy E., Construction Supervisor, as well as Dale M., Barry H., Robert G. and many others who worked on the project. Dr. R.’s grand opening was in the summer of 2002 and included the mayor and over 2,000 people who came out to see this state-of-the-art project.

We wish Dr. R. continued success and many thanks.

Crews were called to the scene of an extensive apartment fire in Herring Cove, Nova Scotia. The fire started on the lower floor and quickly spread to common areas, apartments, exterior walls and the roof system.

The priority was to restore electrical services in order to restart the boilers and provide heat so interior piping did not freeze. At the same time, the roof was secured, building walls waterproofed, floors secured, and several apartments of contents were removed. After emergency services were performed, crews removed over 100,000 square feet of drywall and thousands of yards of carpet and readied the building for the owner’s construction crew to rebuild. Our emergency mitigation and demolition services were completed over the holidays in less than 3 weeks.

Thanks to the crew!

A large fire developed affecting several units of a semi-detached housing complex located in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Our crews were called by 3 separate insurers to provide emergency restoration services and later reconstruction for each of the owners. Due to the intensity of the fire, many of the units suffered major structural and water-related damages. To control the spread of flames and minimize damages, the fire department even called in an excavation contractor to knock down part of the middle unit.

Once the fire investigation was completed, FirstOnSite crews worked diligently to dismantle and prepare affected units for reconstruction. Our team ensured that newly exposed walls of the townhouse unit were properly insulated and waterproofed in order to prevent freeze-ups or water damages.

The crew worked within each of the affected units, inventorying, packing, and moving all contents to be professionally dried and cleaned. While the homeowners’ contents were being stored at a FirstOnSite facility, our team continued the restoration processes within each damaged unit. Thousands of square feet of drywall, insulation, and flooring were removed before the reconstruction could even begin.

Plans for the reconstruction of the middle townhouse unit were arranged as our crews continued their interior repairs to the adjacent units. The FirstOnSite team worked long hours to ensure that the owners of the neighbouring units were in their homes for the Christmas holidays.

After the building permit was obtained and a structural engineer confirmed stabilization of the firewalls, FirstOnSite started reconstruction of the middle townhouse unit during the cold, snowy month of February. The unit was roof-tight despite terrible weather by mid-March, and the owners were back home by May.

“The salvage and freeze drying of the Roy Studio collection was a huge challenge that broke new ground in conservation practice. FirstOnSite worked closely with CCI, National Library and Archives Canada and the Peterborough Centennial Museum. Their sensitive treatment, professional experience and expertise lead to a successful result unparalleled in the conservation literature for a collection of this kind.” Michael H., Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) Manager Preservation Services and Training

Click here to read to the Roy Studio Image Restoration case study.

“On behalf of the entire team at the Fairmont Winnipeg, I would like to thank you and your crew at Premiere Restoration Services for the incredible efforts put forth on our behalf. As you know, the hotel business runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Shutting down any operations results in immediate impacts to our guests’ and colleagues’ experiences. With temperatures dropping to a record low at -50 degrees Celsius, the subsequent burst pipes resulted in quite a bit of flooding in key areas of the hotel. Upon contact with your company, you were on site immediately with your crew not far behind. Under your leadership, you directed the organization of the flood cleanup, the required demolition, and then the final restoration of our lounge and our signature restaurant. Your team worked day and night to put us together again, seven days is pretty outstanding. I have been in the service industry for 17years; the level of professionalism, care and quick action displayed is among the best I have experienced. Once again, on behalf of The Fairmont Winnipeg, thank you to you and your dedicated team of professionals.” Indu B., Winnipeg, Manitoba

“I felt from the first moment we had any dealings with your company that things would be handled in a proper and professional way. Due to the nature of our business, with the uncertainty of when we are needed, time was of the utmost importance. I was extremely pleased with the response time from when the flooding occurred and we were completely cleaned and ready once again for business.” Mr. M., Summerside, Prince Edward Island

“I was very impressed by the professionalism & promptness of Brian C. and the girls that sorted through our belongings after the fire in our shop. I would recommend them.” Raymond and Lori W., Grovedale, Alberta

“Because of the exceptional service I have received from you and your company, I am compelled to write today to thank you. During the recent expansion to our insurance agency, I was greatly impressed with the care that was taken by your tradespeople to keep noise levels to a point where we hardly knew they were there as well as keeping a clean worksite with little interference with our day-to-day work. It was extremely important for us to continue business daily with staff and client comfort respected. You did this very well. The quality of the workmanship, timing of the trades and fairness of the pricing were very much appreciated. Roy E., Gary S. and Art D. are a definite asset to your company for any future contracts you will have for their quality workmanship, effort and friendliness. They made what was assumed a nightmare upheaval into a pleasurable experience. Thanks again.” David C., Westphal, Nova Scotia

“I would like to express my sincere thanks for the renovation for Econokopy at Penhorn Mall, N.S. The workmanship was above standard and no details were forgotten. As so often happens, we were under a deadline for our opening, and you met the challenge. We have received many compliments on the office.” Parker S., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Successfully completed a complicated project and adjusted well to the unexpected.” N.P. Winnipeg, Manitoba

This was our first time ever to experience something like this, and you folks made this experience run very smoothly! I will recommend your business to anyone and everyone. Once again thank you.” Brandon, Manitoba

Dear Kevin,
Thank you for the superb job you and your men recently did on our office. The good humour and willingness on everyone’s part to get the job done – in spite of the fact that the job was considerably larger and more complicated than we had expected or planned for – was greatly appreciated. We are aware of the effort that was put into getting the job done as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
 We look forward to working with you again in the future.” Willa M., International Marine Biodiversity Development Corporation – Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard, I never dreamed it would be ready so fast, and everyone was so pleasant. Consider this memo as a Thank You and pat on the back for a job well done!” Veronica P., Acadia University – Wolfville, Nova Scotia

We were very pleased with your attention and workmanship during this very stressful time.” Philip R., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Your company has a well deserved reputation.” Dianne C., Bedford, Nova Scotia

A fine job on something that could have been quite a hassle.” Paul B., Halifax, Nova Scotia