- Jefferson County Emergency Management is creating a vetted list of licensed local contractors.
- The initiative aims to protect residents from post-hurricane repair scams.
- Watch the video to learn what it takes to get on the list.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Jefferson County Emergency Management hopes to ease the stress of finding licensed contractors after a storm with a vetted list.
"You need to be here to help, not to hurt," said Tyler Boland, owner of Circle T Land Service.
I’m Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter, speaking with county officials and a local contractor about how this new list could help protect neighbors — and boost local business.
Hurricane damage can leave homes — and hopes — shaken.
In the aftermath, out-of-state contractors sometimes take advantage of neighbors during their most vulnerable moments.
Jefferson County Emergency Management officials say they’ve seen firsthand what can happen when neighbors hire unlicensed contractors from outside the area.
That’s why emergency management is now building a trusted list of local, licensed contractors that neighbors can turn to for help.
Dustin McCoy is the emergency management liaison officer with the Jefferson County Emergency Management Office. He says to qualify for placement on the list, contractors must show proof of insurance, licensing and permits — and outline the services they offer.
"History shows that when storms come through, contractors often show up immediately after. They are commonly out of state or from a long distance, and they’re here to help — but sometimes those folks who are here to help are not really here to help. They’re here to scam. They’re here to take advantage of the people who have just been devastated by a storm," McCoy said.
Tyler Boland, owner of Circle T Land Service, was one of the first to submit his information for the list. He says although contractors stay very busy after a storm, neighbors should still stick with local contractors.
"And make sure they have liability insurance. Because if they’re running through your yard, you don’t know if they’re gonna run over your septic tank or run over your drainfield and crush your drainfield hauling a big tree across your yard. You know, and it’s — it’s good to have that liability insurance because that liability insurance covers you,” Boland said.
And with hurricane season just weeks away, leaders say the time to prepare is now.
In Monticello, Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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