JJ’s Roof Jumpers
Courtesy of Emergency Field Office West
Covering damaged roofs with blue tarps in the wake of Hurricane Rita is rewarding work, not only for the
security it brings to the homeowners but for the bonds that develop among the workers.
Jim “J.J.” Janicek, roofing team leader at the Emergency Field Office-West in Lake Charles, La., says, “Each of
my inspectors has taught me new things every single day with their unique personalities.” Janicek is a rather
unique personality in his own right. With his feather earring and arms covered with tattoos, he’s called “biker
dude” by homeowners. According to him, “This is one of the best crews I have had the pleasure to work with.
Our time together as a team has been an experience I will never forget.”
Most of JJ’s team started out as “newbies” in Slidell, where they were thrown into an already well-functioning
group. They got their feet wet estimating damage to roofs and completing final inspections. “We also enjoyed
the great “housekeeping” at the motel, but didn’t complain because we were glad we didn’t have to drive back
and forth to Baton Rouge,” he said.
The team jelled when they were sent to the Emergency Field Office-West to oversee the installation of blue
roofs in southwestern Louisiana parishes devastated by the hurricane. “By the time we arrived in Lake Charles,
we were considered seasoned estimators.
Operations were just starting up, so we have
been able to see things from the beginning,”
he said.
Life in a disaster area is not your normal
life but it certainly leads to forming bonds.
“Most of us have found solace each night at
Comfort Inn or ‘Fort Comfort’ as we like to
call it,” said Janicek. “Having roommates
has really brought us closer. Each day, we
share our funny, frustrating, and heartwarming
stories.”
The team realizes that the reason they’re
here is to help the people in Louisiana.
Janicek said, “Everyone that we talk to is so
appreciative of our work and that makes
being away from our families worth it.”
By mid October, teams working the FEMA-
assigned Blue Roof mission had installed
more than 33,000 temporary blue roofs in
Louisiana.
