True Recovery Partners: The MCS Approach to FEMA Disaster Assessments

In just hours, a home—the place that held every birthday, holiday and late-night conversation—can be gone. A hurricane shows no mercy, leaving a homeowner watching all that they’ve worked for drift away as the roof collapses, water seeps in and debris litters the house. 

Emotions can overwhelm them: How will I rebuild? What about the bills, the mortgage? How will we start over? What happens now? 

The arrival of a FEMA disaster assessor in this traumatic moment has the opportunity to truly impact the homeowner’s experience—which is why MCS has taken great care to approach FEMA assessments differently. Here’s a look at how MCS goes above and beyond to improve the experience of those impacted and ensure survivors get all the support they need to fully recover and thrive following a natural disaster.  

FEMA assessors as recovery partners 

When individuals experience a natural disaster like a hurricane, earthquake or wildfire, they need comprehensive help and support in the aftermath. Agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are there to provide emergency assistance for property owners. As part of FEMA’s disaster assessment program, assessors/inspectors meet with homeowners following a disaster to assess the damage, including capturing pictures, measuring the total square footage, checking the roof, and examining harm to furnishings and other personal property. 

But for survivors of a natural disaster, recovering is about much more than just a FEMA assessment of their property. Enduring a natural disaster can be a harrowing experience, and the individuals in its wake are trauma victims who often need support and services that go beyond property inspections. That’s why MCS is committed not only to providing assessors/inspectors in the aftermath of a disaster, but also to being a true recovery partner for survivors by taking a different approach than other organizations who provide these services.  

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An empathetic approach 

MCS’s assessors/inspectors go beyond simply documenting damage in a FEMA disaster assessment to help disaster survivors rebuild their homes. We provide our assessors with soft-skills training to ensure they approach every individual with empathy and understanding. They are compassionate and professional while offering guidance and support.  

A holistic approach 

MCS fully understands the need to provide a broad range of resources and guidance to help survivors understand what’s next after a disaster. Doing so can help reduce confusion and anxiety among survivors, keeping them well-informed and ensuring they know how to access aid and support. To this end, our assessors/inspectors are trained to keep their focus on clear communication and connecting impacted individuals with additional resources they may need, from temporary housing assistance and access to behavioral health specialists trained in trauma-informed care to understanding how to file for unemployment benefits that can help them get back on their feet.   

A professional approach 

Assessors/inspectors who work with MCS don’t show up on the scene as individual contractors. They provide support as an employee of MCS, with company email addresses and extensive training that allow them to communicate effectively and maintain the highest standards of professionalism.  

A proactive approach 

In a natural disaster, the stakes are high for everyone involved. That’s why MCS works to hire qualified assessors/inspectors, provide comprehensive training and ensure they have experience working with our other customers before their first FEMA deployment. That means when the disaster call comes, they are already experts in providing the essential support and guidance that will be needed.  

As an industry leader, MCS has been providing comprehensive property preservation, post-disaster inspection, facilities maintenance and asset management services across private, commercial and government sectors since 1986.  

Learn more about our approach and the role our assessors take on to help survivors recover. 

Join Our Team

MCS’s network of disaster assessors/inspectors has completed more than 710,000 disaster inspections and counting since 2017. Whether you’re an industry veteran or seeking a new opportunity, we’re always looking for compassionate, motivated and diligent individuals to join us. Apply today to join our team.