Emergency Preparedness

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS:

Planning for the Unexpected

The year 2020 has proven that everyone should prepare for the unexpected. Most communities already understand that emergencies happen. However, creating a plan for these emergencies is often neglected. While we all hope that the need for an emergency plan never arises, having one on hand is imperative. Will you remember all the steps to take should an emergency arise? Will you be able to remember everything that occurred during the incident?

An emergency is a disturbance that was unexpected and causes property damage and/or displacement of residents. Examples include fire, flood, storm damage and mold. At the time of a disaster, you are faced with situations that can impede your ability to handle this situation effectively. During this time, you are responsible for protecting and preventing loss of life, protecting the health and wellness of residents and employees, protecting the physical asset of your property, and projecting a professional image to your residents and community. Having a plan on hand will help work through these steps.

With many steps to take during an emergency, referring to a manual will help guide you through the process. This manual should be kept in multiple places (corporate office, manager’s office, leasing office) and stored in multiple formats (flash drive, hard drive, cloud) to ensure it is always available.

The following contact information should always be included in any emergency plan:

* Emergency and non-emergency police and fire department phone numbers

* Employee personal contact information

* Resident list and emergency contact numbers as well as next of kin contact information

* Utility list and shut-off locations

* American Red Cross contact information

* Restoration contractor contact information

* Local hotel/motel agreements and contact information

* 24-hour pharmacy phone numbers

* Insurance carrier, broker, and agent emergency phone numbers

* Scripted response to the media

In addition to the above contact information, the following property information should be included in your emergency plan:

* Property photos, both exterior and interior

* Property building plans and engineered drawings

* Type of roofing associated with the building

* Landscaping and vegetation of property

* Specific details of all common areas, including flooring and lighting

* Special features such as ornamental cut glass, sculptures, or artistic ironwork

* Occupancy/vacancy report

* Existence of lead paint, asbestos, or other contaminates

A vital step to take, prior to an emergency, is to choose a restoration contractor. This contractor will handle the emergency service, including cleaning, drying, temporary utilities, etc. In addition, this contractor will handle all phases of the restoration process, freeing management to handle other important tasks. Your contractor should be chosen based on reputation and relationship. It is also best to choose a contractor who is IICRC Certified, licensed and insured.

Once the emergency is over, you will need to compile all event related documents. It is recommended that the following documents be kept together to be organized and processed later:

* All receipts

* All photos, thumb drives, SD Cards, etc.

* All service tickets

* All resident correspondence/emails

* All insurance inspections

* All police reports, fire damage reports

We all know that emergencies happen. How we prepare for these emergencies can be the difference between an unexpected event being managed smoothly or not. If you do not have an emergency plan in place, your restoration contractor can work with you to create one.

Written by: Dani Bressler Toepfer Construction Co., Inc.

301-336-8600 dbressler@toepferco.com