Big Daddys on the Biggest Road Trip Ever

[Big Daddy]

Sorry, I havent posted anything in a bit. I moved from Kissimmee, after Charlie, to Vero Beach to work Hurricane Frances. I hunkered down in a hotel room in Ft Pierce during Hurricane Jeanne ( an experience in itself....oh my gosh!) and am now working both disasters from Fort Pierce to Jupiter Beach. I will be brief with this post, as busy doesnt even come close to describing my days here.
For the road tripper, this can be a rewarding road career. If you do 10-15 inspections a day, you will make 400.00 to 650.00 dollars per day. Do 20, and you are at 890.00 per day. I am in a hotel, at 60 dollars per day, with other expenses (rental car, food) at 40.00 per day. I have been doing 15 inspections average per day......do the math. Heres the downside....it is emotional,hard work, so you need to decide what is best for you. I have talked with several seasoned road trippers who do this business as a sole profession while on the road. They are happy, and make enough during 1 or 2 disasters to keep them on the road all year.
Let me explain the emotional aspects. Some days you might visit 10 people who were affected by the disaster. 5 of them need immediate help, while the other 5 are trying to "see what they can get" from the government. Why is this emotional? Let me give you a day from this week.
Went to the home of a woman (Nellie) who lost everything.....food, tv, clothes, bed, toothbrush....all blown away....when I arrive, she is sitting on an old orange crate in her debris strewn yard, in the middle of a ghetto. When she sees me pull up, she is crying......she is 63, and raising a 2 yr old that her daughter left on her doorstep 1 year ago. The baby is drinking from a Sprite can, because that is all she could fimd in the rubble. Nellie makes 450 dollars a month on social security, and spends 300 of that on this rat hole she lives in. She is under eviction notice from the slum lord that owns this duplex, because she used her SS money to get a hotel room during the hurricane instead of paying rent because she was told to "evacuate or go to jail". SShe has nothing left. She had no insurance.I took her information, verified damages at a total loss, and asked her if there was anything I could do for her. She said "well you call your wife who you left at home to help us, and tell her you love her" she hugged me....which made me cry. I gave her all of the money I had to help with the baby, and all of the bottled water I had in my trunk. I called the red cross, and had them move her to a shelter, as she confided she was living in her car. I cried all the way to my next stop.....
The woman met me at the door, and tapped her foot agrily as I was ten minutes late for our meeting. She lived in a 700,00.00 dollar house on the beach not more than 6 miles away from Nellies. SHe indicated her disapproval of my demeanor indicating I looked drunk (a result of red eyes from tears.) I assured her I was not and asked for the damage assesment she had made about her dwelling to FEMA. She stated the following...."Well, my dock is damaged, the boat has scrapes, and my guest house has leaks in the roof"
I asked her in a professional demeaner if she knew that FEMA only covered damages to the primary dwelling that affected habitability.She could have written a check for the damages and not even had an ounce of hardship, and she had insuarance on all of her items. She angrily said "I have guests coming from New Jersey....where am I going to put them?" I turned many shades of red, wondering where this woman came from. Howdare she......? A boat that needs waxing, a guest house? with minor water leaks? Oh my gods. I kept feeling the warmth and needy sicerity of Nellie, and wanted to scream.
Emotions? yes, I was furious. I felt my lungs explode, and my blood pressure erupt. remaining professional was the single hardest thing I ever had to do. But, that is what we do.........we do not judge, just make observations.I spent as much time with this woman as with Nellie, as she might have felt her needs were as serious as Nellies. I can, however ,assure all of you that she will receive NO ASSISTANCE from FEMA, after the commentary I wrote on her paperwork.
If this type of emotional roller coaster gives you challenge, then by all means, it is a lucrative road trippers dream....perhaps I am too emotional, too connected with the reality of disaster, but it gets me, every day. I will end with this......
That one hug from Nellie was probably enough to keep me going for a month or two....she makes all of this hell worth while.......Take care fellow road trippers!
Big Daddy

[Big Daddy]

keep that jar of ash, your grandchildren will want to see.......I promise!

Big Daddy,
I appreciate the detailed response. That was a pretty emotional story. I've looked into the companies that you recommended, and just my luck, the training schedule is already full in my area. I'm going to contact the companies to see what other options they have.

As far as the job goes, I understand that it might be difficult to do this as a full time job, but what is the possibility of doing this as a side job? Since I already have a decent full time job, I was hoping this could be an on call type of thing, where I can go when I can get time off of work. The money wouldn't be as big of an issue since i have a primary source of income, as long as I can cover travel expenses, helping people out would be enough for me.

[Mark Sedenquist]

That is the arrangement "Big Daddy" works under. He has a "real" job elsewhere in the country. Employers can be approached about being on-call -- the only problem you need to be able to commit to a minimum 30-day deployment at a time.

[imported_Dave]

I am interested in hearing from someone who would tell me any noticable differences in the two and not just in the way the work is handled, but the way either company has demonstrated its personal level to you. thanks d.h. I work for pb currently.

Dave,

How do you like working for pb? I looked at their website, but I'm inclined to go with perrin inspection. I'm just wondering if you would share your experiences or knowledge with the company, and whether it's something that you would recommend

[Big Daddy]

okay, glad u asked. I only have a few seconds, so pardon my bluntness.I have had dinners with PB guys, and PaRR guys. A PB guy brought me hot soup when I was sick. We all work together for the benefit of victims. Heres the clincher for me. I work for PaRR. We all ran out of work,it was a FEMA issue with computers, and etc. I started getting angry with the system, as I was out of work for two plus days. I was furious after the third day. No work=no pay.I took a chance and shot an email to PaRR, telling them how upset I was, and to send me home. It wasnt 10 hours when the "big cheese" from PaRR called me, sympathised, and asked what he could do. he knew I was a good in-spector, did qulaity work. He found work for me, and best of all, he said, "Please dont go home angry" I will do whatever it takes to keep you here......thet ph call made a believer out of me in that even during the worst of times, he cared how I felt. PaRR wins on that account. I had a full looad of work in 20 minutes. I will say this....one phcall from the big guy is worth all of the losses I may have incurred. Gods /goddess bless Jim Jordan of PaRR....he made a lifelong constituant of me.
Okay, later, have more people to see. I will post the whole story when I get home......

[Big Daddy]

just to correct the record

[sidhu]

[Hilary]

parr has been the best and hope to get redeployed in the very near future again