Family First Environmental Corp

Mike knows his stuff, is patient and accommodating.

They're very reliable and trustworthy.

They came in to do air quality tests for me after the hurricane. They were always on time and very professional.

I cannot say enough about Mike Hallock's professionalism, courtesy, and genuine concern that the problem be addressed. I had been having a severe allergy reaction for months to what I finally realized was mold growth in my basement. Mike conducted a very thorough visual assessment and inspection of mold growth in my basement (and first floor) and collected the necessary air samples to determine if I had elevated mold spore concentrations. He took the time to show me problem areas in my basement and made recommendations for keeping the entire basement dry. He then sent the samples to an independent laboratory and carefully discussed the results with me shortly thereafter. He did this after the mold remediation company completed its work as well to ensure the conditions were safe and the air samples no longer showed elevated mold concentrations. His company is completely independent of the mold remediation company so there was absolutely no conflict of interest. He made certain I understood what was being done and was very responsive to any questions and concerns. Without reservation I have already recommended him to others!

He was very nice; he seemed very knowledgeable, polite, and was here on time.  He spent as much time discussing the situation and answering any questions that I needed; that was good.  There are no complains but I just thought when he came back the second time, he charged the same amount so it seemed a little expensive but I really do not have anybody else to judge.  He could not see because he just put a little machine in there.  I would recommend him but I would probably use somebody else because he has been to the house two times.

Professional appearance. Prompt and courteous.  Report was given as promised in 2 days.

Joe was punctual, professional, and from what I can tell, honest.  He checked the entire premises, and was spot on about where there was mold, and the fact that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. And that as the home owner I could clean it up myself, with the help of a hepa-filter unit, and a proper dehumidifier that continually pumped water out through heating system drain.

He said one guy was going to come but another guy came.  I thought he was testing for mold throughout the house not just in different spots.  He said it would cost $100 extra for additional rooms other than the basement.  It really upset me that when the repor tcame called I couldn't get a hold of the company and I called the number on the report and the company said they couldn't talk to me about the mold report, unless Family First said they could talk to me.  I'm not sure if the mold test was done right.  I will not refer anyone to Family First.  I was not satisfied or happy with this company.

This was a Sandy flooded house.  6 inches of water on the main floor of a 1 floor house, with the most damage done by standing water in the crawl space.  I had had the wall taken down 4 feet from the floor on the main level to air out for about a month when the contractor I had selected to put them back recommended I get an expert opinion on whether they were dry enough before he did any further work. 
I called a remediation company (also through Angie's list) due to it's excellent reviews and a free consultation.  They recommended testing done by an independent company - with no interest in good or bad results either way.  I found Family First partially through their recommendation, but also did research on Angie's list to make my decision.
There wasn't an overwhelming smell of mold, which made the decision to pay more for testing and remediation more difficult. 
But the service was more than worthwhile.  It's part education and part science.  It's not speculation or opinion.  Although neighbors can be helpful, I felt that with the warm weather coming, now was the time to find out if the mold problem would just get worse if I left it alone, and did not want to risk putting up walls and having to take them down again.  I found out the problems that mold can cause, how to prevent it, when to open your windows and let the fresh (dry) air in, and when to run a dehumidifier.  I also learned that NYS doesn't recommend specific procedures, but NYC does. 
The first test from the lab showed a "mold elevated" reading with significant amounts of different mold types likely originating from the crawl space.  This information allowed the remediator to address them specifically.  After the remediation I had a second test where mold levels were "not elevated".  Mike still recommended that I have the remediator come back to address some higher than ideal levels, all with the goal of making sure this was the last time I'd deal with mold from this flood.
I am confident I made the right decision.  With all the Sandy flooded houses out there, most of which will be repaired, I fear my neighbors may regret not doing everything they can to make sure they took care of this problem.  With the help of this company, and the remediator, I feel like I've done all I can.

They were excellent. They showed up when they said they would. They knew what they were doing. The report seemed to be fair and accurate and gave me a good basis for having work done. I was completely satisfied. I would use them again.

Mike is extremely knowledgeable on the topic of the indoor air quality.  The price of testing is somewhat steep, but having a company independent of mold remidiation company test the air samples, is definitely more important and worth it.  Each sample takes about 15min, so make sure you schedule at least an hr.  He knows his business and will definitely make sure that you and your family are taken care of.

Father (Mike) and son (Bob) team. When I first contacted them, Mike explained the testing procedure in exhaustive detail and a mutually agreed date was set up in a matter of days. They only test; they don't remediate. Bob came on the day and performed a very detailed survey of the house, well beyond the area we expected was a problem. As a result we also learned of a minor mold issue in the basement by the Bilco doors and a previously unknown roof leak in an unheated storage space on the second floor. They also helped by evaluating remediation proposals as part of the process - confirming our suspicion that one was over the top in terms of both scale of effort and price while another was probably in the right cost ballpark but missed a couple of points in the process which we asked that they add. My only minor cavil is that they seemed surprised when I asked for their recommendation on a suitable remediation company to benchmark the two proposals already in hand. Though that could be explained by the fact that we are probably on the outside edge of their normal coverage area. Did supply a name, though the guy isn't exactly rushing to call us back.

They are very professional and helpful.

Family First's father (Mike) and son (Bob) team are first rate and a pleasure to work with.  Mold was visible in the basement but not on the first floor.  After the test revealed atmospheric mold on the first floor, a second round of tests was performed to determine how extensive it was.  Each test was $425.  Turnaround was very fast because they expedite samples to the out-of-state lab they use.  They made it very clear beforehand about additional charges for the second test and that the charge was higher if I tested more than 2 rooms.   They include an outdoor test as a control.  They also tested after the remediation to confirm it was successful.
In addition to this, they: (1) recommended a remediator based upon the test results and my location; (2) helped me evaluate proposals from multiple remediators to determine if any protocols were missing and if the charges were excessive; and (3) offered  suggestions relevant to various upgrades they knew I plan to make - very generous with their knowledge.  They're also a resource for low VOC building.    I always felt I was in good hands.

Mike is very thorough and extremely knowledgeable of air quality. The name of his company is very accurate "Family First". He truly cares for your family's well-being. Mike was very accommodating and he made his schedule available for a re-test after I had the mold remediated.

I would highly recommend Family First. It was well worth the money for the test and piece of mind.