DANIA BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - After historic flooding devastated a police officer’s home, cleaning company Disaster Services didn’t hesitate to provide some much-needed aid.
The officer is known as a hero to his community and this time someone else came to his rescue.
On Monday night, Officer Jose Frank Delgado gave 7News an exclusive progress report after historic flood waters ravaged his Dania Beach home less than two weeks ago.
“I could not believe how quickly they did this. There was no way I would believe they got this far in such a short time,” said Delgado.
With help from his wife and daughter, the Delgado family tried their best to keep as much water out of the home as possible. They used towels, sheets and even clothing, but it was useless as water poured in.
“It just kept on coming, it wouldn’t stop,” said Delgado. “The water outside was this high. So you can see the level rising up to here.”
“When I got here, it was maybe about three or so foot of water, so I was able to get in the house. As the night progressed, it wouldn’t stop, it just kept coming up. Once I knew it was coming in the house, it was nothing we could do,” said Delgado. “The drain was backing up with sewage.”
Fortunately for the Delgado family, they were able to make it out safely.
“The lights started to flicker. At that point, we had to shut off the breakers, and I had to call one of our chain of command and see if they can provide Miami-Dade Police services in to Broward County,” said Delgado.
In the days after the floods, Delgado found himself facing another problem when FEMA and his insurance company offered little to no help with repairs.
That’s where Disaster Services stepped in to lend a hand for free.
“We decided to come in here and to do the job absolutely free, today for him. We’re going to do all the demolition, pull out the floors, cut the walls four feet high and then disinfect everything with antimicrobial agents and then, lastly, gonna place all the equipment that’s needed to dry out the structure completely,” said Juan Matos, owner of Disaster Services.
When asked why they decided to take on the hefty job free of charge, the company’s answer was quite simple.
“Because, you know, he’s a local hero. He’s a police officer, he’s there putting his life on the line every day for people, and it’s nice to be able to help him when he needs people to do so,” said Matos.
Not only did the company’s generosity leave the devoted police officer speechless but also the progress after just one day of work.
“I was taken back. I was totally shocked. I was like ‘Who does that?’ So they are the true heroes. They’re the ones who come out of the darkness in these disasters and he actually makes a difference,” said Delgado.
“It’s an emotional rollercoaster, I haven’t had time for myself, because I’ve been in work mode. I just haven’t even had time just to sit down to process it. I’m sure the minute I sit down and be able to relax, I’m just going to crack and just let it out,” said Delgado.
The job could’ve ran Delgado anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000.
The company said they are just happy to help out where they can.
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