The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District’s Readiness Branch held training May 1 inside the district’s Emergency Operations Center to prepare Operation Blue Roof volunteers for the upcoming hurricane season.
Operation Blue Roof is a program offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that installs temporary blue plastic sheeting onto roofs damaged by storms until permanent repairs can be made.
When mission assigned by FEMA, members of the Blue Roof team will deploy to an impacted area to assess homeowner eligibility, damages and required temporary repairs.
“Operation Blue Roof allows the homeowner to recover from the storm in their own house,” said Oliver Berglund, an Omaha District emergency management specialist and Blue Roof team manager. “This training helps ensure we have a team ready to deploy and operate at moment’s notice.”
The training included briefings on emergency management, the Blue Roof program and mission execution. It also included a hands-on exercise with a simulated mission.
The exercise primarily focused on mission management tasks and assessments of damaged roofs within the Blue Roof Management System. It also simulated various scenarios the team could face while deployed.
Nicole Cominoli, an Omaha District program manager and Operation Blue Roof mission manager who has deployed in support of Blue Roof missions, said, "It is a very humbling and rewarding experience to be part of the Blue Roof team and the mission that we execute. We are able to restore a sense of normalcy for people during a very chaotic and stressful time.”
Berglund said they currently have 58 volunteers but are always looking for more.
District volunteers come from many different career fields and function in a variety of roles to include both office and field work. Operation Blue Roof positions don’t have to relate to the volunteer’s traditional career. Many perform roof assessments and quality assurance tasks while other positions include action officer, mission manager, mission specialist, resident engineer, database technician, realty and contract specialist and material control technician.
The Omaha District’s Blue Roof team most recently deployed in support of Hurricanes Irma and Maria 2017 and Hurricane Laura in 2020.
District employees interested in joining the team should contact Oliver Berglund at 402-995-2443 to learn more about the program.