On Saturday I received a call from a very distraught lady stating that her home had caught fire and needed assistance. I immediately dispatched a Journeyman and two apprentices to the scene.

On arrival they assisted the family with getting their personal affects out of the home and helped them get into a local motel. We boarded up the home to prevent illegal entry or home invasion and installed equipment to start the cleanup process. The owner said he wanted to meet with his insurance company before we physically started the cleanup process. The owner called his insurance company and made arrangements to meet with the insurance adjuster Tuesday afternoon.

On Tuesday I went to inspect the home, meet with the homeowner and insurance adjuster. On arrival at the property and after exchanging social graces the insurance adjuster said “With the economy being what it is, I can buy labor at 1/3 of what it was a few months ago. We brought labor into New Orleans at a fraction of what the locals were charging.” 

After hearing those comments, I turned to the adjuster and told him I don’t use slave labor and will not do anything that is immoral or dishonest. I told him in this field you get what you pay for. With that, he turned red faced and changed the subject.

Folks, there are a lot of insurance companies out there, please be careful when buying insurance on your property. While I fully agree you should get the best bang for your buck; however, be wary of shady companies whose only interest is what goes into their pocket. Your cars and homes are very expensive and you have a lot invested in them. If you are like me, I want highly skilled and qualified craftsman working on them.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified forensic, fire, flood, mold inspection and remediation contractor. Ed is the president of  Northwest Executive & Environmental Services, Inc.