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FirstOnSite: Responding to Major Storms

3 May 2011, Toronto - Disaster can strike at any time and most homeowners hope they never have to deal with a substantial insurance claim for their property. Over the last week in Southern Ontario, many homeowners weren't so lucky. A strong wind storm moved through the Niagara and Hamilton region leaving a swath of destruction right through to the Ottawa area.

FirstOnSite Restoration, the largest independent disaster restoration company in Canada has been busy in the region responding to claims – from everything to trees falling on houses to shingles blown off from roofs. No matter the call, teams of disaster mitigation specialists have been responding and closing cases and putting homeowners at ease.

"For us, it's important to get to the calls quickly so that we can prevent any more damage from happening," said Trevor Kutcy, Branch Manager for FirstOnSite Restoration in Hamilton. "Our teams over the last week have been seeing hundreds of clients and we're able to get to so many calls because FirstOnSite has the unique ability to bring in resources - equipment and personnel - from across the country."

To deal with the high volume of claims in the nation's capital, FirstOnSite has mobilized crews and resources from Eastern Ontario and Montreal and has opened a satellite office in Ottawa in response to insurers needing assistance.

"We work with insurance companies every day. We are their allies, so if they need help in a certain area, we do our very best to meet their needs," said Bruce Derraugh, Chief Operating Officer with FirstOnSite Restoration. "We have the ability to mobilize and we've done so successfully. Our crews are in the Ottawa-Gatineau area repairing homes and businesses affected by the spring storm."

Though the worst of the storm was last week, dozens of claims continue to come in daily. FirstOnSite says it will continue to respond until all the damage has been addressed in the region.

About FirstOnSite Restoration

FirstOnSite Restoration is the largest independent emergency restoration company in Canada serving the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. With 1,100 employees and more than 40 branches coast-to-coast, it delivers 24/7 emergency services when a disaster strikes. FirstOnSite's corporate structure provides scale, stability and unsurpassed capabilities in Canada, and regional and local expertise keeps it closely connected to communities across the country. FirstOnSite is majority-owned by TorQuest Partners Inc. and is an approved vendor for many leading insurance companies. For more information visit: www.firstonsite.ca.