In an ideal world, every property and business owner would have a disaster recovery plan to ensure a straightforward restoration. The truth is that, even with a plan of action, multiple unexpected issues must be resolved in the midst of chaos and confusion. Valuable days and even weeks can be required for restoration, particularly if other complications, such as forensic investigations, arise.
All parties feel the growing sense of urgency when reconstruction finally begins and the pressure is on to perform the work in record time. Such was the case for the Belfor reconstruction project at the Cook County Administrative Building following a fire in October 2003.
It is a story that everyone has heard. At 5 pm on Friday, Oct. 17, a fire started on the 12th floor of the Administrative Building in downtown Chicago. A few hours later, when the fire subsided, six people had died, trapped in a smoke-filled stairwell, and a number of people had been injured.
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