CAT Season Strategies: Readiness, Response and Recovery

On this episode of Ask The Expert, we’re joined by industry experts Tim Singnysane, Director of Operations for 1-800-Water Damage, Austin Duchaine, 1-800-Water Damage Owner of Harrisburg, PA, and Rick Wahlstrom, Estimate Review and Compliance for Belfor Franchise Group. These gentlemen have nearly 100 years of experience combined. With hurricane and fire season on the horizon, we wanted to dive into the proper strategies for readiness, response and recovery for catastrophes.

We cover topics like the importance of preparation, challenges in communication, the need for rotating your teams, advice and more. There is no time like the present to prepare, collaborate and ask the necessary questions to keep you and your team not only prepared but safe and compliant.

Questions:

What are the key steps you take to prepare for servicing a CAT event?
How do you determine when it's time to deploy your team, and how do you ensure they are ready?
How do you make sure your team follows carrier processes for documentation, photos, approvals, etc. during the chaos of a CAT response?
What advice would you give to contractors who are looking to get into CAT work for the first time?
How do you balance supporting the affected area while also maintaining operations at your home office?
What are some important preparedness tips you would share with homeowners and business owners ahead of hurricane season or other disasters?

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KEYWORDS: disaster preparedness disaster response

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Kayla McGowan is the SPAR Partner Manager for PuroClean, where she manages and strengthens the company’s vendor partnership ecosystem. In her role, she serves as a key liaison between PuroClean, approved vendor partners, internal stakeholders, and Franchise Owners, helping connect the network with trusted tools, services, and products that support operational success.

With more than 10 years of experience in marketing and communications within the restoration and cleaning industry, Kayla has built her career around connecting people, ideas, and resources that move the industry forward. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of Restoration & Remediation (R&R) Magazine and continues to contribute to R&R as a writer, bringing her industry knowledge and perspective to its audience.

Kayla holds a B.S. in Criminal Science and an M.S. in Public Safety and Emergency Management from Grand Canyon University. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Restoration Industry Association’s Marketing Committee.

Her industry credentials include Microbial Warrior®️, Certified Forensic Operator®️, and High Risk/High Level Decontamination Specialist™️. Passionate about elevating the restoration industry and the professionals within it, Kayla enjoys building meaningful relationships, sharing knowledge, and creating opportunities for collaboration. Outside of work, she is a food lover who enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.