President’s assistant Reed Cordish tours P. R. Recovery Field Office, mission sites

Photo By Edward Rivera | 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 Assistant to the President Reed Cordish, from the White House Office of American Innovation during his recent visit to the Puerto Rico Recovery Field Office. U.S. Army photo by Edward Rivera.  

PUERTO RICO

11.05.2017

Story by Edward Rivera 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – 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 Corps has made with temporary power, the Blue Roof program, debris removal and several other mission areas.

After the briefing, DeLapp escorted the president’s assistant 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 (Donald Trump) 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 Mr. 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.

Additionally, he provided Cordish a thorough breakdown of how providing photos of the home, documents along with latitude and longitude helps the contractors locate the correct house. Simmons said once all the information is in the system, contractors will know the quantities of plywood, lumber and plastic sheeting required.

“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.”

• Date Taken: 11.05.2017
• Date Posted: 11.05.2017 09:54
• Story ID: 254153
• Location: PR