Multidisciplinary Remediation

30 Forensic Engineering, Canada’s leading and fully-independent multi-disciplinary forensics firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Meghan Brady M.Env.Sc. as Intermediate Associate, within the Multidisciplinary Remediation group.

Meghan obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph where she majored in Marine and Freshwater Biology and minored in Geography. Meghan is no stranger to the insurance industry. She started working as a claims assistant in 2008 and was in and out of the insurance claims sector while completing her Bachelor’s degree. After graduating, she worked as a Technical Project Assistant for an insurance consulting company that specialized in transportation spill response, fire investigation, and forensic services. Her firm belief in continued education led her to pursue a Master of Environmental Science degree from the University of Toronto where she specialized in biophysical interactions between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Her thesis focused on statistical and ecological models that predicted harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.  Meghan was quickly offered a contract position with Environment Canada and Climate Change’s Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division upon graduation. Once her contract came to an end, she decided to get back into the consulting industry and began working for 30 Forensic Engineering at the beginning of 2020.

Meghan possess a wide range of environmental experience from the private consulting, academic research, and federal government industries. Her experience includes transportation spill cleanup projects, indoor and outdoor environmental assessments, and working with statistical and ecological models to address environmental issues. Meghan’s time spent in the consulting, government, and academic industries allows her to approach environmental issues from multiple perspectives while also exercising her theoretical and field expertise to solve complex environmental problems.

SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

• Transportation spill remediation
• Mould, asbestos, and indoor air quality assessments
• Designated substance surveys
• Freshwater ecology and biomonitoring
• Quantitative environmental analysis
• Statistical and ecological modelling
• Hydrology and watershed management

 Jeff Reitsma MBA, PMP, P.Eng., Vice President & Practice Lead, Multidisciplinary Remediation states:  “I am thrilled to welcome Meghan on behalf of the whole firm.  Meghan has fit seamlessly into the Remediation Team and the firm at large in a short time, demonstrating her broad array of expertise and experience along the entire value chain – she maintains a great work ethic and a constant focus on her clients’ needs.  Meghan embodies all of the values of 30 Forensic Engineering and I have every confidence that she will soon be among the leading experts here and a trusted resource for our clients and partners in the industry.”

About 30 Forensic Engineering

30 Forensic Engineering is one of Canada’s largest and most respected multi-disciplinary forensic firms. Our core team of 70 professional engineers, experts, investigators, engineering technicians and support staff is enhanced through relationships with some of the top scientists, standard-makers and specialized consultants in North America serving a wide variety of industries including: Insurance, Manufacturing, Legal, Construction, Health Care, Commercial and Residential Property, Financial, Government, Hospitality, Mining, Renewable Energy and Transportation.

We provide world-class engineering and consulting expertise in:

Civil/Structural Failure
Building and Fire Code
Geotechnical and Mining
Biomechanics & Personal Injury
Human Factors
Collision Reconstruction
Transportation Safety
Renewable Energy
Environmental Health & Safety
Multi-disciplinary Remediation
Materials & Product Failure / Piping & HVAC
Fire / Electrical & Explosion investigations
Trucking

The Canadian Lawyer Magazine readership acknowledged 30 Forensic Engineering as their top choice in both forensic engineering categories:

For further information and media inquiries, please contact:

Paul Aquino, Director, Marketing
paquino@30fe.com

For confidential inquiries on becoming a member of the 30 Forensic Engineering team, please contact:

Stephanie d’Obrenan, Director, Human Resources
sdobrenan@30fe.com

30 Forensic Engineering, Canada’s leading and fully-independent multi-disciplinary forensics firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Reitsma MBA, PMP, P.Eng. as Vice President & Practice Lead, Multidisciplinary Remediation. Jeff will be responsible for firm-wide client service, talent development and leadership needs while continuing to maintain his successful consulting practice.

Jeff is a professional engineer (Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia) and Project Manager with nearly 20 years of experience in the engineering consulting and construction industries. Over the course of his career, Jeff has specialized in the project management of multidisciplinary complex loss investigations and reconstruction projects and has led teams for some of the largest firms in Canada. He has overseen industrial and municipal capital infrastructure projects across Canada from conception, procurement to construction completion. Jeff has also designed and directed environmental assessment works involving indoor air quality, chemical engineering, mould, asbestos, smoke, soot, fire and flood impact mapping.

Since 2014, Jeff has effectively led the Remediation group at 30 Forensic Engineering by providing leadership to multidisciplinary engineering teams and the management of both small scale forensic investigations and large-scale remediation projects. Jeff’s role will expand to formally encompass a broader array of firm-wide leadership duties while spearheading the development and execution of strategy and innovation-focused initiatives. These efforts will be part of 30 Forensic Engineering’s ongoing commitment to our clients as the firm commences a growth phase.

Greg MacLeod, Chief Financial Officer at 30 Forensic Engineering stated: “With this promotion, Jeff’s unwavering commitment to collaboration across our thirteen practice groups and dedication to the mentorship of staff will allow him to further build impactful teams and deliver innovative solutions to our valued clients. His altruistic approach to client service and ‘all hands on deck’ attitude is compelling and invigorating. I speak for the firm when I say that Jeff is a consummate professional and a pleasure to work alongside. Congratulations Jeff.”

About 30 Forensic Engineering

30 Forensic Engineering is one of Canada’s largest and most respected multi-disciplinary forensic firms. Our core team of 65 Professional Investigators, Engineering Technicians and support staff is enhanced through relationships with some of the top scientists, standard-makers and specialized consultants in North America serving a wide variety of industries including: Insurance, Manufacturing, Legal, Construction, Health Care, Commercial and Residential Property, Financial, Government, Hospitality, Mining, Renewable Energy and Transportation.

We provide world-class engineering and consulting expertise in:

Civil/Structural Failure
Building and Fire Code
Geotechnical and Mining
Biomechanics Personal Injury
Human Factors
Collision Reconstruction
Transportation Safety
Renewable Energy
Environmental Health & Safety
Multi-disciplinary Remediation
Materials & Product Failure / Piping & HVAC
Fire / Electrical & Explosion investigations
Trucking

The Canadian Lawyer Magazine readership acknowledged 30 Forensic Engineering as their top choice in both forensic engineering categories:

30 Forensic Engineering, Canada’s leading and fully-independent multi-disciplinary forensics firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Jeff Reitsma, MBA, PMP, P.Eng. to Principal of the Remediation Group.

In his role as Principal for the Remediation group, Jeff will continue to provide leadership to multidisciplinary engineering teams and manage both small-scale forensic investigations and large-scale remediation projects. Over the past 5 years at 30 Forensic Engineering, Jeff’s commitment to collaboration, mentorship and project management best practices has allowed him to continually build highly-effective project teams and deliver innovative solutions for our valued clients. Jeff also plays a vital role as a senior member of the firms Leadership Team.

Jeff Reitsma is a professional engineer and project manager with over 15 years of experience in the engineering consulting and construction industries. Jeff specializes in project management of multidisciplinary complex loss investigations and reconstruction projects and has led teams for some of the biggest firms in Canada. He has overseen municipal capital infrastructure projects from conception to completion and designed and directed environmental assessment works involving indoor air quality, chemical engineering, mould, asbestos, smoke and soot and fire and flood impact mapping.

“Jeff wears the 30 brand with pride and passion, consistently demonstrating a commitment to the firm and his team, and giving of himself to ensure the success of both. One of Jeff ’s greatest strengths is his desire to move the firm forward in non-traditional areas, evidenced by his growth of our expertise in remediation, as well as infrastructure. Please join us in congratulating Jeff on his well-deserved promotion to Principal.” stated Dr. Rob Parkinson, Principal, Biomechanics & Personal Injury Group.

As the current state of emergency in British Columbia continues, more than 3,200 square kilometers of land have been scorched, 40,000+ people have been forced from their homes, and hundreds of wildfires still continue to burn in B.C.’s interior, many of which are a direct threat to local communities. The effects of such a catastrophe are unprecedented in Canada. In addition to the rapid mobilization of Canada’s P&C insurance industry, there are over 3,500 firefighters and additional personnel battling the blazes with auxiliary support from 375 members of the military.

30 Forensic Engineering are deploying environmental staff in this early phase, to assess the extent of fire impacts for a variety of commercial and residential clients to set the stage for proper and safe restoration & re-occupation of the Town of Williams Lake as the evacuation orders are lifted and life seeks to return to normal.  “At 30 Forensic Engineering, we frequently encounter properties which have been subjected to serious emergency events and by taking a thorough yet efficient assessment in a timely manner, we can help to provide significant peace of mind to our insurance-industry clients and more importantly, the home- and business-owners whom they serve.  Ultimately we’re committed to a safe and speedy recovery from these wildfires and are looking forward to helping” states Jeff Reitsma P.Eng, and Practice Lead, Multi-disciplinary Remediation.

In response to this catastrophic wildfire event, 30 Forensic Engineering will be on the ground in Williams Lake and are able to provide an array of assessment and remediation services for our insurance industry partners, across the health & safety, environmental, structural, electrical and mechanical teams.

Collection of online resources dedicated to the
British Columbia wildfire emergency:

BC Wildfire Service – All Current Wildfires
BC Wildfire Service – MAP Active Wildfires
BC Wildfire Service – Latest Wildfire Statistics
BC Wildfire Contact Information
Current Wildfire Situation
Preparing for a Potential Evacuation
What to do if Evacuated from your Home
Donate to the British Columbia Fire Appeal

Additional wildfire resources available from:

Insurance Bureau of Canada
Canadian Red Cross
Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
Government of British Columbia
Emergency Info BC
Drive BC
Air Quality BC

Emergency Preparedness Week is organized by Public Safety Canada and takes place each year in May. This year, the event was rolled-out nationally May 7^th – 13^th, with the aim of helping Canadians safeguard themselves during an emergency situation.

The event also presents an ideal opportunity to identify whether your organization is prepared for an emergency. With the heavy rainfall we’ve already seen early in May in southern Ontario, floods are a particular concern for owners and managers of small apartments through to large commercial and industrial facilities. “At 30 Forensic Engineering, we frequently encounter properties which have been subjected to serious emergency events—I would suggest looking for ways to prevent, mitigate and reinstate the damages from an emergency event, and always look to be prepared, so that you can manage an emergency situation safely and calmly,” states Jeff Reitsma P.Eng, and Practice Lead, Remediation.

Some practices to consider:

• Identify procedures and key support persons, including 24/7 contact numbers for your insurance representative, after-hours emergency response contractors and operation-critical vendors.

• Include audits of emergency response actions such as shut-downs, testing of back-up power, flow-testing drains, and exercising of shut-off valves as part of scheduled preventative maintenance activities.

• Actively manage designated substances such as asbestos, silica, PCBs and lead and maintain inventories of said materials in accordance with applicable regulations; this information should be shared with emergency responders to make every reasonable effort to notify those workers of health & safety and environmental hazards.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date drawings or CAD models, especially of infrastructure-critical elements such as electrical single-line diagrams and plumbing riser & valve schedules, to identify critical isolation and shut-off points and to direct emergency responders.

• Clear and consistent labelling of piping and valves, cables, conduits, panels and junction boxes will save precious time when tracing leaks and confirming isolation of systems in an emergency.

• Ensure all construction and renovations are done to code by qualified contractors; proper fire-stopping of floor slab penetrations for instance can minimize the spread of smoke & soot damage during a fire, and also prevent water from travelling from floor-to-floor via ceilings and within wall assemblies.

Incorporate resiliency into design selections where possible:

• Bolt- or screw-on finishes can be more easily removed than glued- or cemented-on finishes facilitate drying or replacement.

• Water permeable materials in layers should be avoided in leak-prone areas – hardwood flooring with foam underlayment as an example is difficult to dry in place in a timely manner.

• Permeable walk- and drive-way finishes and green roofs can help to minimize surface run-off in and around properties.

• Make allowance for flooding in risky areas and provide robust drains, housekeeping pads or pedestals for sensitive equipment, while keeping overhead areas in such locations free to allow use of lifting devices to facilitate replacement.

Make use of the extensive emergency preparedness resources available on-line, including excellent check-lists, tips and guides:

Insurance Bureau of Canada

Government of Canada

Canadian Red Cross

Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction

Restoration Contractors Organization of Canada (RCOC)

It is essentially impossible to effectively plan for all potential emergency situations, but effective and targeted preparation can result in significant reductions to the likelihood and impact of an emergency situation on your property – “Plan. Prepare. Be Aware”!

As outlined by Public Safety Canada “Get Prepared” program, here are additional on-line resources as to what’s occurring across Canada:

Alberta
Alberta Emergency Management Agency

British Columbia
Emergency Management BC

Manitoba
Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization

New Brunswick
New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization

Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador Fire and Emergency Services

Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories Emergency Management Organization

Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office

Nunavut
Nunavut Emergency Management

Ontario
Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management

Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island Emergency Measures Organization

Quebec
Quebec – Ministère de la sécurité publique

Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Emergency Management Organization

Yukon
Yukon Emergency Measures Organization