Disaster Restoration Preparation By Russ Lis, CMCA, AMS, MAOM, ASD, WRT, FSRT | Restoration LLC
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hroughout your life there are many things that you plan for. You try to structure your education so that you’ll have a fulfilling job. You may plan for a vacation for weeks or even months ahead. Maybe you’ll plan for the type of home you want, gathering blueprints, getting contractors lined up, choosing color swatches, etc. But unfortunately, many of us do not plan for disasters, whether they’re from natural causes or man-made. When they happen, you may hear people say things like, “But I never saw it coming,” and “We didn’t have time to react.” Well, the time for action is long before the disaster happens. The time to plan is NOW!
family will meet in case you get separated from one another. Depending on the type of emergency, this may be a location inside your home or in a completely different spot. Know how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity at the main switches or valves and share this information with your family. Have fire extinguishers ready and show everyone where they’re located and how to use them. Inventory your possessions and keep that list along with important documents in a safe deposit box. Keep your homeowners or renters insurance company’s telephone numbers readily available and make sure you understand the difference between actual cash value (ACV) and replacement cost value (RCV) for your contents. It’s also a good idea to have the contact information of a local disaster restoration company, or companies, at hand.
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Assemble a Kit. This is a collection of basic family needs you’ll
need after a disaster. These should be stored in a portable container and be enough to last you three days. It’ll include food, water, a battery powered radio, a flashlight, etc. You can find a full list of items for your survival kit at redcross.org.
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Maintain Your Plan. Every six months, review your plans with
your family, conduct evacuation drills and restock expiring food and perishables in your kit. Also make sure your fire extinguisher is recharged and smoke alarm batteries are replaced.
Planning
After the Disaster
According to FEMA, there are four things you should do immediately:
You never thought it could happen to you but it has. You now have damage to your home. As long as it’s not totaled, you need to take steps to protect your property from further damage by performing temporary repairs like boarding up windows and patching or covering holes in your walls and roofs as soon as possible. If you do not do this, your insurance company could deny any additional damages. Here’s a list of other things you should do:
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Get Informed. Many communities have local emergency
management offices and/or a Red Cross Chapter. These organizations can give you information concerning any local emergency response plans, evacuation plans and emergency shelters. It’s also a good idea to invest in a NOAA Weather Radio that will alert you during any time of the day or night for when possible destructive conditions materialize.
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Make a Plan. Have a family meeting to let everyone know what
your emergency plans are. Have an out-of-town contact, whose number is programmed into all cell phones and written down. This is the person you’ll call to let them know where you are after a disaster strikes. Teach your children how and when to call emergency numbers. Also, have a prearranged location picked out as the place your 8
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