Technical Tip Tuesday Presented by Paul Davis Restoration
The First 10 Minutes: How Technicians Establish Control on CAT Loss Sites
John Reasoner shares why safety and structural stabilization come before any inspection, unloading, or equipment setup during CAT response.
Welcome back to a new series of Technical Tip Tuesday. This month's series is Catastrophe Preparedness. We’re joined by John Reasoner, Senior Director of Catastrophe Services at Paul Davis Restoration, and he breaks down how technicians can create control and stability the moment they arrive on site.
This may seem straightforward, but as John explains, the first 10 minutes of a CAT loss are often the most unpredictable. Hurricanes, flooding, and major storms can compromise structures in ways that aren’t always visible. That’s why the starting point is simple:
Safety first. Always.
Before your teams ever begin their inspection, unload, or set up equipment, they must confirm that the site is safe to enter. Structural instability, electrical hazards, falling debris, or unexpected intrusion points can be present even when damage looks minimal from the outside.
Once safety is established, the next priority is stabilizing the property by securing the building envelope.
For this month’s series, our goal is simple: prepare restorers to respond confidently and efficiently when catastrophe strikes.
Thank you tuning in for this week’s tip. We will see you next week!
More Tips in This Series
Looking for quick answers on restoration, remediation and cleaning topics?
Try Ask R&R, our new smart AI search tool.
Ask R&R →
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
