SRC Covid-19 Update & responding to Disasters

SRC would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone that is on the front lines of this unprecedented battle we are waging against Covid-19. The medical support staff, the first responders, all the support personnel and everyone that is doing their job so we can continue our lives while we fight this battle. Thank you!

During these ever changing and challenging times we are all asked to respond and adapt to meet this emergency. We at  SRC are trying to do just that to help get through these times and be set up for a strong economic recovery.

We are happy to report that effective December 30, 2022, Doug Fell is fully vaccinated with the two dose Covid-19 vaccine and all subsequent boosters.  SRC will continue to utilize facemasks, social distancing, gloves and/or hand sanitizer and other measures as appropriate in the fight to reduce the spread of Covid-19. 

While we are all to limit our activities and interactions, please consider potential increased property damages if a situation is not corrected in a timely manner. There is much truth to the saying “pay me now or pay me a lot more later”! Water intrusion, structural cracks and settlement left uncorrected may cause many larger problems later. That is why we are continuing to provide services for the public.

Another consideration is that when this Covid-19 emergency is over and we are all on the road to recovery, there will be a large demand for professional services and construction services. Some of the work can be done while still reducing the spread of the virus while preparing to get bids for the work when we are on the recovery side of this emergency. 

The purpose of SRC’s response:

1. Continue to help limit the spread of Covid-19 by adapting how we provide services and our interface with our clients.

2. Continue to be a strong technical resource for our clients and the public as needed.

3. Continue to assist with the economic recovery of the Covid-19 event by continuing to perform services through this ordeal and reduce the backlog of work on the recovery side of the disaster.

Some of the approaches SRC is taking to respond to this event:

1. Continue to provide all our services by adjusting them to be appropriate with the Covid-19 protocols. 

2. Increase our remote/virtual abilities of performing our services such as evaluations and meetings.

3. Provide site observations and meetings with social distancing protocols, videoconferencing and other measures to support our clients.

Responding to Disasters:

Having dealt with so many various disasters throughout my career including tornadoes, hurricanes, explosions, fires, hazmat spills and others has helped me recognize the various stages of dealing with these tragedies. What we are going through with this global pandemic is a disaster. The stages of dealing with disasters is like the Kubler-Ross model stages of grieving. It is easier to go through these stages when you know what to expect. Some of the more distinctive stages are as follows:

1. Initial Event: Going through the initial event. The view is very limited to only what is happening now.

2. Story Telling: Shortly after the event occurs the survivors tell their survival stories of where they were when it happened, how it affected them and others they know. These stories are usually told with great enthusiasm. The view is only of the recent past disastrous events.

3. Unrealistic Return to Service Expectations:The survivors are often thinking of getting back to normal in the short term while in fact they don’t realize how long recovery is really going to take. While they are initially thinking of days or weeks before things get back to normal, it may be more on the magnitude of weeks or even months for recovery to occur. The view is of an unrealistically returned future, but is very short, void of many steps to achieve the needed goals.

4. Frustration/Fatigue: As time goes on, the reality of the situation sets in and the feeling of being a survivor turns into that of being a victim. Recovery is not happening soon enough. Frustration and despair become overwhelming turning into fatigue. The view again is very short, only seeing the chaos that the event left behind, with barely a cloudy view of a successful end.

5. Hope: Things are starting to happen that will get things back to (the new) normal. The view is now looking ahead a little bit.

6. Return to Service: Finally, when issues start to be resolved, life can return to the new normal. The future is open and the survivor feeling returns. The view is now whatever they want to make of it.

May we all know and understand what we can expect in dealing with this or any disaster.   May we then be better prepared to handle those stages knowing these stages are normal and they do improve.