During Introductions Determine

• If the resident is a homeowner or tenant

  • We can help any resident with their wet belongings. We can assist homeowners with mucking, gutting, and tarping. Do not muck, gut, or tarp a home without written permission from the homeowner

• If the resident is going to try and stay in the home

  • if the resident is going to shelter in place, we will be less aggressive about mucking and gutting. For example, try not to take 48-1/2” of sheetrock off of both sides of the bathroom walls -it isn’t very private. Try to take the sheetrock off one wall and ventilate to dry.

• If the resident is registered in Crisis Cleanup

  • Crisis cleanup is our work order management system. If the homeowner is not registered in Crisis Cleanup, encourage them to allow you to report and claim the job so that we have a record of the work.

• Emphasize all decisions are the resident’s!

  • The tenant or homeowner is the final decision-maker. Your team can and should guide the homeowner as they make their choices. Help them understand best practices during the decision-making process. Ultimately, if the homeowner decides that the wet couch stays, then it stays. However, make a note to check back in a few days when the couch begins to smell so that you can move it to the debris pile.

Safety Inspection

Is the residency structurally sound?

• Key points to check:

  • Sagging or wet ceilings, gas leaks

  • Evidence that the residence has shifted on its foundation:

    • Are the walls no longer vertical

    • Sagging rooflines

    • The residence is no longer firmly resting on the foundation

    • Windows or doors that opened previously can’t open?

• Avoid working in homes you think are structurally unsound. If you see signs of structural issues, consult a qualified engineer or building inspector for assessment.

Identify Safety Hazards

• Downed electrical lines

  • Assume any downed electrical line is live

• Downed trees

• Debris that would be a trip hazard

• Wet floors or slip hazards

Develop a Safety Plan

• Mitigate all Safety Hazards

• Use caution tape to isolate dangerous areas

• Verify gas and electricity are turned off, and switches are padlocked (Lock Out / Tag Out)

• Clear any tripping hazards

• Review the hazards with the team

Walkthrough with Resident

• Set expectations for what the team can and cannot do.

• Identify any areas of the home that the team may not enter

• Use three different colored Post-it notes to identify items to keep, defer, and dispose

• Make sure your team has the equipment and tools to do the work, if not contact your congregation DRC or GC-DR

Initiate Ventilation ASAP

• Open windows

• Direct/redirect ventilation through areas as you move from room to room

• Start at the back of the house to the front to avoid contaminating cleaned rooms

Be Mindful of Unaffected Areas

• Protect any areas of the home that are free from damage to avoid further unintentional damage

• Place wooden or plastic sheeting on pathways leading to and from the work area

• Use 2’ x 8’ sheets of plywood to set up a path easier for wheelbarrows

Establish an Equipment Storage Area

• Response Team’s tools and tools brought by volunteers should be identified (duct tape, painted, etc)

• Designate a central tool storage area like a tarp on the ground or a folding table

• Encourage discipline on your team. If a tool is taken from the equipment storage area, it should be returned to the area as soon as possible.

Standing Water

• Remove standing water inside the structure

• Assume any standing water is contaminate-rich

• Protect your team with PPE

• Check water for submerged hazards

Establish a Debris Management Plan

• FEMA Debris Removal Guidelines are the default unless the jurisdiction establishes different guidelines. GC-DR will communicate other guidelines as they are made public.

• Per FEMA, debris should be separated as described below:

  • Electronics

  • Large appliances

  • Hazardous waste

  • Vegetative debris

  • Construction debris

  • Household garbage

Generator Safety

• Ventilation is required, use outdoors only

• Do not plug directly into the wall

• Turn the generator on before plugging in/ turning on appliances

• Be mindful of electrical hazards

• Refuel only cooled generators; never refuel a hot generator

• Children and pets should be watched closely around a generator

• Safe Generator Use (American Red Cross)

• Using Generators Safely at Home (FEMA)

• How to Safely use a Home Generator (video, Texas Department of Insurerance)