Paul Davis is always on the lookout for innovative technology to support its restoration and mitigation activities. Sometimes, new technology makes a remarkable impact on a project, its partners and the community. “At one fire scene in our community, Matterport digital technology significantly assisted a range of onsite – and offsite - efforts,” says Brad Grimes, Business Development Manager, Paul Davis of North Atlanta. “That project perfectly showcased why Paul Davis uses this revolutionary platform and relies more and more on its exceptional capabilities.”
The Situation: At the local fire department’s request, Paul Davis arrived after a large multi-family apartment fire in Atlanta had been extinguished. The team prepared to secure the property. Because the structure was nearly a complete loss, the Paul Davis team documented the charred and dangerous disaster area with the Matterport technology platform.
The Process: Working seamlessly with smartphones, Matterport software created a high-definition, extremely accurate, three-dimensional digital rendering of the charred apartments with a touch of a button. Users could immediately “tour” the rendering virtually, zoom into it, reconfigure it, customize it, publish it and share it. “This technology is far better than pictures – no matter how many pictures you capture, something is missed,” Grimes notes. “In this case, the detail and accuracy that Matterport captured was so precise that its rendering even helped crime scene investigators.”
The Matterport Difference: Matterport’s digital rendering allowed first responders, detectives and other partners to research the scene, plan restoration, and estimate costs. “Today, ‘desktop’ insurance adjusters – those who work remotely - are far more common than on-scene adjusters,” says Dennis Ham, Emergency Recovery Coordinator with Paul Davis of South Atlanta. “Matterport scans allowed everyone to reference the same evidence, see all of the contents, have the same measurements, communicate better and see more than they would have been able to access even if they had been physically on scene. This technology is leaps and bounds ahead of lasers and measuring tapes.” Matterport also allowed emergency personnel and technicians to avoid dangerous areas and limit hazardous contaminant exposure.
The Results: Grimes and Curran noted that the insured fire victims were comforted and had increased confidence that Paul Davis and its construction partners, equipped with top-notch tools like Matterport, were the best restoration professionals for the job. Detectives studied the scans to glean clues to the fire’s origins, evaluate burn patterns and search for criminal evidence. Matterport speeded claims resolution, increased accuracy and precision, improved communications, provided precise visuals and data-rich documentation.
The Future: This Paul Davis location plans to work with local fire authorities to take Matterport scans of fire stations. These renderings can be used as community relations tools for first responders, showcasing facilities, preparation and capabilities to the community members they serve. And for future disaster mitigation and restoration projects? Matterport’s capabilities seem nearly limitless.
Need help recovering from a disaster? Paul Davis has the technology and skilled teams to help. Our people promise to be there within four hours of a call for help.