Trump envoy tours FEMA PR offices for update, tour
Jamie Simmons, temporary roofing (Blue Roof) quality assurance representative, explains the smartphone Field Management System the teams use to collect Rights of Entry and perform assessments to Reed Cordish. (Credit: U.S. Army photo by Edward Rivera.)
Assistant to the President Reed Cordish, from the White House Office of American Innovation, recently paid a visit to the Puerto Rico Recovery Field Office for a progress update and tour of several mission sites.
RFO Commander Col. James DeLapp and several mission managers brought Cordish up to date on the strides the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has made with temporary power, the Blue Roof program, debris removal and several other mission areas.
After the briefing, DeLapp escorted Cordish to the Incident Staging Base on Fort Buchanan where the temporary generators are stored and prepared for installation. Cordish also met with the Task Force Prime Power Team at the Palo Seco power plant, followed by a walk-through of a blue roof assessment in Guaynabo.
“What you are doing here is very important,” Cordish told more than 50 workers at the RFO. “The president is ready to support your needs in providing relief to the people of Puerto Rico.”
Focusing on technology and innovation, Jamie Simmons, temporary roofing quality assurance representative, explained the smartphone Field Management System the teams use to collect Rights of Entry and perform assessments.
“I explained to Cordish how a QA assesses a house. I covered all the steps we go through to enter information into the FMS operating system,” said Simmons.
Simmos gave Cordish a thorough breakdown of the information that residents provide, such as photos of the home and the latitude and longitude coordinates, which helps contractors locate the correct house.
Once all the information is entered into the system, contractors are able to determine the quantities of plywood, lumber and plastic sheeting required for the Blue Roof installation.
“Our job is trying, but gratifying at the same time,” Simmons said. “We are serving a bigger purpose and try and put ourselves in their shoes. Most have lost everything. Many are so happy to see us and know that someone cares and we are here to help. I’m very glad to be serving the people of Puerto Rico.”
