The disaster restoration field has come a long way since its inception not so long ago. A foregleam of the RIA was established in 1946 by a group of rug cleaning professionals known then and now as the National Institute of Rug Cleaners (NIRC). Through the decades, the association arranged itself into multiple “institutes” that served different aspects of its membership, including fire and water damage. In 1980, the Association of Specialists in Cleaning in Restoration (ASCR) was formed under whose umbrella the National Institute of Fire Restoration (NIFR) was created. In the 90’s, the NIFR became the National Institute of Disaster Restoration (NIDR). And in 2007, ASCR once again rebranded itself to become the Restoration Industry Association (RIA).
What’s the point behind this little trip down a memory lane of abbreviations? Just as the disaster restoration industry has improved and specialized, so has the equipment that the industry uses. The business has also gotten much more competitive, not just among contractors but between manufacturers of restoration-related equipment as well. So when it comes time for you to purchase equipment, how do you know which units to buy?