With the 2022 hurricane season underway, it is critical that you be prepared. The first step is to create an emergency preparedness plan, a basic requirement for all businesses regardless of location. Once the plan has been developed, it is important to communicate it to your managers and employees.
- Training – Provide ongoing training for your staff to familiarize them with its key elements and procedures including shelter-in-place provisions and post-storm safety considerations.
- Emergency Contacts and Documentation – Keep a list of important contact information in a secure location away from the facility premises with a copy on your person when severe weather is imminent. Contacts should include carrier names, addresses, phone numbers, and policy numbers for each of your insurance policies as well as contact numbers for employees, local police, medical facilities, utilities, and other emergency contacts.
- Insurance – Contact your insurance agent to ensure that storm- and disaster-related exposures are addressed by your policy. Review your building values, deductibles, and business interruption coverage.
- Vendor Supply Chain – Identify vendors and contractors in your area and talk to them about their ability to respond following a catastrophic event. It may be possible to make arrangements with these businesses to secure priority response for your facility in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.
- Customer Contact Information – Keep an electronic record of customer contact data such as email addresses and telephone numbers in order to provide pre- and post-storm communications about accessibility at the self-storage facility and related issues.
- Maintenance – Perform maintenance tasks that can help minimize property damage in the event of severe weather such as trimming trees, ensuring that the roof is properly secured to the structure, and regularly inspecting the premises to identify and remove loose debris.
Check out the Tip of the Week archive for more tips.
Mike Schofield
President & CEO
