This edition of VetCor’s monthly blog is dedicated to two of our franchisees who went above and beyond the call of duty in the service of our clients. Those who live outside of Texas may not realize the devastating ice storm that descended on the state from Feb. 13-17, though the damage was covered extensively in the national news. Temperatures in the single digits, with wind chills in the negative territory, simply don’t happen there. But, when it did, the effects were tragic.
Millions of Texans lost power, heat, and access to clean drinking water for several consecutive days, leading to 150 deaths. When temperatures eventually climbed above freezing, hundreds of thousands of pipes burst, flooding homes, apartment complexes, and businesses. Demand for the type of restoration service calls provided by VetCor were at all-time highs. Blaine Decker, owner of VetCor of the Brazos Valley, was operating at ground zero.
After hours one night, a concerned mother contacted Decker about her water damaged home. She had an infant due to go in for heart surgery within the week and she was worried about her baby being exposed to mold. She’d contacted several other restoration firms, but because of the circumstances, none offered to take the job. Her location was an hour away and Decker’s Brazos Valley operation was already at full capacity. But his military background saw the situation for what it was—a rescue operation. So, he called in some support with another VetCor owner.
Patrick Salmon owns VetCor of Norcross, GA, but had come to Texas in the week before to assist with the massive amount of residential damage caused by burst pipes and flooding. Knowing that Salmon was working in the area where the distressed mother lived, Decker reached out. Within one hour, Salmon’s team had rushed to the scene and deployed equipment and personnel. They placed a HEPA 500 Air Purifier and dehumidifier to control the environment, then proceeded to conduct a full protective treatment with antimicrobial cleaning. It bought the woman and Decker’s operation enough time to get her infant in for surgery and complete the full restoration service for the home.
From a military standpoint, it exemplified two key values. One, using teamwork between two VetCor franchisees, we were able to deploy a rapid response. And two, the mindset of taking some kind of action now is better than nothing at all—regardless of who’s footing the bill—was an honorable and admirable approach.
Kudos to Blaine Decker of VetCor of the Brazos Valley and Patrick Salmon, owner of VetCor of Norcross, GA. Your teamwork is a shining example of the culture, norms and values embodied both in our military service and our VetCor business opportunity.
We invite you to review our business proposition to see if owning a VetCor franchise might be the solution for your return to civilian life. If you’re a military veteran about to be discharged from the service, or are currently in the transition process, reach out and let’s start a conversation about your future.
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