NEWS
Emergency Preparedness - By Jenifer Thompson
A tornado would never hit Downtown Atlanta. Multiple tornados would never ravage North Georgia. An office building would never catch on fire, especially mine. Have you ever said or thought those things, only to later watch them happen and wonder, “now what”? In our industry, a common expression heard is “it’s not if, but when”. No one ever wants to experience a devastating loss at their property, whether it is a result of a storm, a flood, or a fire, however, being prepared BEFORE an event strikes is key and could save you countless time and money. How do I pre-plan and prepare ahead of time for an emergency? Well I am glad you asked.
Prevention
A key element in emergency preparedness is prevention. Preventative maintenance can save countless amounts of time and money. Some key checklist items for this include: know your building, schedule regular servicing of equipment by licensed professionals, and perform routine walk-throughs of the building to look
for potential problems or faulty equipment. Be sure to communicate to one another what you find during these walk-throughs in order to ensure action is taken to rectify the potential problem areas.
Find the water shut-o$s throughout the building. Label them. Photograph them. Create binders detailing the shut-off procedures that should reside at multiple locations (security console, engineering room, management office) including at least one offsite, and if possible, online.
Have A Disaster Plan
The next step is to ensure that you and your team are on the same page. This begins by developing an emergency preparedness disaster plan with the people who are serving your property on a daily basis. Your management and engineering teams, security team, and even some of your service providers should all be in the loop on your expectations of response. Have a disaster plan in place and practice it. This is not the same as your life safety plan.
What should go into Disaster Plan? The key element is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which is to be followed by everyone on-site, including an outline of who is responsible for what tasks. At least one backup per responsibility should be considered (you never know who may be out sick or on vacation when the plan is implemented). Include emergency contact numbers for your disaster recovery provider, security, sprinkler company, telecom provider, and local authorities (police, !re, EMS/EMTs) that you have met with BEFORE you
need them, etc.
Preparedness
Have your list of service providers programmed into your phone, as well as printed. The last thing you will want to encounter is trolling the internet for phone numbers in the middle of the night when you need them the most. Meet with your service providers and find out how they will respond to you when a disaster occurs. What is their plan of attack to secure your property and get you and your tenants back in business as quickly as possible? What are their service capabilities? What kind of labor force, materials, etc. do they have at their disposal? Visit their office and ask for introductions to their staff that will be assisting you in the event of an emergency. Spend time with your service providers before you “need” them so they have the tools in place to make you shine when it counts.
Choosing A Provider
How do I choose a disaster recovery provider? First and foremost, meet with a company that is recommended
by your colleagues. Take the time to get to know them and develop a mutual trust, check out their references
and credentials, and ensure they possess the mainstream technology necessary to service your property. Can they handle a large loss as well as they can handle a small one? Ask! Do not just meet your local representative,
but ask to meet members of the operations team who will be onsite when you need them. Anyone can give you a good dog and pony show, but can they back it up?
“The bottom line is to be prepared, ask questions, and most importantly PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!” Do your homework well before it is due. By being prepared for an emergency ahead of time, you are far more likely to avoid unnecessary problems and undue panic. You will be glad that you did.
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Jenifer Thompson works in the Business Development Department of EPIC Response, an industry leader in disaster recovery services that is a recent winner of Cobb Chamber’s Small Business of the Year. She oversees multiple client portfolios and has served in this industry for 14 years. During this time she has been involved in many major catastrophic events. An Atlanta native, she is a graduate of Kennesaw State University, as well as a recent graduate of Dale Carnegie of Georgia. Jenifer is a member of BOMA Atlanta, CREW Atlanta, and IREM Georgia and is actively involved on several committees within in each organization.
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