When the unexpected strikes, property owners and managers need the support of knowledgeable professionals. That’s because the process of recovering from a disaster — whether it’s a fire, flood, storm, or other catastrophic event — is incredibly overwhelming and can leave lasting damage if not correctly handled.
Instead of trying to do everything on your own, finding someone you trust to guide you through the process is non-negotiable for most property owners and managers.
There are two different but critical processes that properties must undergo following a disaster: mitigation and restoration. Although these services have some overlapping characteristics, they are actually two separate things with their own applications.
Let’s break down the differences between these two different responses to property events so that if you are ever in an unfortunate circumstance, you have some strong foundational knowledge about what happens next.
What Is Disaster Mitigation?
Disaster mitigation is the process of reducing the severity of a disaster. This is a process that keeps things from getting even worse than they already are. Disasters can sometimes cause compounding damage if the risk isn’t mitigated right away. That is what you are trying to avoid when you hire a professional disaster response company.
Imagine this — if you have water pouring into a building because of a burst pipe or a flooded water source nearby, what are you going to do first? Start cleaning the carpets or try to get the water to stop entering the building? Obviously, you have to stop the water first.
This is disaster mitigation in a nutshell: stop or reduce the harm that is caused by a disaster in order to keep the situation from worsening.
Other disaster mitigation strategies are used when the circumstances call for them. You may see disaster mitigation specialists plugging holes, redirecting water, boarding up windows, cleaning and disinfecting before mold can set in, and reinforcing damaged structures to keep them from collapsing.
What Is Disaster Restoration?
After the risk is mitigated, it is time for restoration to occur.
You can see the word “restore” in restoration because it really is about restoring what was damaged to the way it was before. Often, disaster restoration improves the condition so that things are actually better than they were before the damage occurred, but at the very least, the goal is to return conditions to a pre-disaster state.
Restoration can take weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the disaster. This process is not as urgent as mitigation, which must be done in the immediate aftermath of the event. Regardless, successful restoration is dependent upon quick and complete mitigation.
Finding the Right Disaster Response Company
Large and complex disaster mitigation and restoration processes require a quick response from an experienced team. You want a team who has the scale, resources, and knowledge to handle these events- no matter what surprises are in store.
Do you have the contacts you need to respond quickly in the event of a disaster? Commercial and residential property owners and managers are wise to have an established relationship with disaster response companies like First Onsite before disaster strikes.
First Onsite Is Here to Help
The team at First Onsite has the industry knowledge, experience, and necessary resources to respond to every kind of property-related emergency. Our mitigation and restoration teams know how to stop things from getting worse, create an actionable response plan, and execute that plan to completion.
No matter what, First Onsite is here to help. We are on-call and ready to deploy, 24/7. With over 70 offices throughout North America and Puerto Rico, we can respond immediately with customizable solutions to meet your specific needs.
First Onsite is the only partner you’ll ever need when it comes to disaster response. Do you need help with a disaster at one of your properties? If so, contact First Onsite today to schedule a consultation.
Let us alleviate the pressure you have been experiencing because of a recent disaster! We are ready to help our clients restore, rebuild, and rise.
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