For City of Calgary safety codes officers Michael Kennelly and Vernon Durkee, a typical day at work means inspecting construction projects to ensure safety and compliance with the Alberta Building Code. But last month, they used their skills and knowledge in a different way to help residents in Chestermere after torrential rain and hail flooded hundreds of homes.
The City of Chestermere offered free safety inspections to residents, and Kennelly and Durkee volunteered to assist – visiting an estimated 40 homes over the course of two days. They were checking the extent of flood damage and offering advice to homeowners, including structural issues, mould, wet drywall and more.
"It felt great to help out a fellow municipality in a time of need," said Kennelly.
Durkee and Kennelly said that most of the damage to the homes they inspected was minimal, and their advice included ripping out drenched carpet and replacing drywall.
"We used what others at The City of Calgary learned during our flood and applied it to help people in Chestermere," said Durkee.
The Safety Codes Council of Alberta granted Kennelly and Durkee temporary designation to assist Chestermere, as normally they are only certified to complete inspections in Calgary.
Funding for the City of Calgary to help during an event of this magnitude is typically covered by the Disaster Recovery Program through the province.
In addition to sending safety inspectors to Chestermere, the City of Calgary also allowed Chestermere to use Calgary landfills for flood-damaged items at a reduced rate.
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