The first week of my internship has been an adventure to say the least. Right off the bat I had the privilege to shadow the City of Dodge City Inspections Department in a natural flooding disaster survey in Natoma, Kansas. Inspecting the area for major damage after the waters had resided. My group Joshua Adams, Erika K. Pyle and I mostly went through the commercial side of town, and met with many of the business owners there. The water lever was around three feet high in the area we surveyed but the damage varied from business to business. One of the photos above shows me standing next to a small shed which was moved off of its supports by the water. As of right now I have been working hand in hand with the staff to find city property violations, inspect roofs, footings and basement walls, and electrical inspections to name a few. The other photo shows a property where the weeds have become overgrown in an otherwise upkept neighborhood, this is considered a city Ordinance violation. We have to write specific notes detailing property violations to mail out to the residence, so bettering myself in this would be one of my first goals. The second would be better verbal communication, since I’m getting to meet all of the local contractors in town. It is beneficial to have a good professional relationship with all of them. My goal for leadership would be to go out at the end of this internship and run an inspection by myself. Finally I plan on expanding my professional network by having good professional relationships with all of the people I work with and in turn will have great references and experience for the future.
