At Certified Restoration, we know water damage and natural disasters do not wait for the most convenient time to strike. As a property manager, having a disaster management plan in place is crucial to minimizing damage, lowering costs, and keeping your residents safe. Certified Restoration is here to help you develop or improve your disaster management plan with our guide below.
Before a Disaster
Developing a Disaster Management Plan
Property managers should have a unique disaster management plan for each property they supervise. The plan should be available to all occupants digitally and in print so that they are readily available in the event of an emergency. A good disaster management plan, at a minimum, will detail emergency procedures for whatever emergencies may be applicable to your property (wildfires, earthquakes, floods, etc.), an evacuation plan, and emergency contact information.
Emergency procedures should include the steps that each occupant should take to keep themselves safe in the event of an emergency. For example, if earthquakes threaten your property, you should detail how residents might take shelter in your building. If fires are a problem, emphasize how occupants should evacuate to stay safe.
Each disaster management plan should include:
An Evacuation Plan
For your evacuation plan, include information on what exit routes/ stairwells/ emergency exits occupants should use, meeting points that are out of harm’s way, and how any updates to the evacuation plan will be disseminated in the event of an emergency.
Emergency contacts can include:
- Police/Fire Department/Hospitals
- Emergency Services (Red Cross, FEMA)
- Building owner/Property Management
- Gas/Electric/Water Company
- Plumber/Electrician
- Emergency Restoration Service Company
- Major systems and access
- Insurance (form)
- Property description and inventory (form)
A good disaster management plan is rendered useless if it is not shared. Set up an annual disaster preparedness meeting with the HOA board and residents to go over the disaster management plan and provide them with emergency preparedness resources. Encourage them to complete their own disaster management plan (ie. insurance, property description, and personal home inventory) to help them protect their property and belongings.
Meet with residents/HOA annually
Set up a disaster preparedness meeting with the HOA board and residents and provide them with materials needed to deal with the threats associated with a natural disaster. Talk them through the evacuation options and your disaster management plan. Encourage them to fill in their information for their copy of the disaster management plan (ie. insurance, property description, and personal home inventory), this information will keep them organized and help protect their property and belongings.
Prepare your property
Apart from developing a disaster management plan for your occupants, it is important to develop a plan for how you’ll protect the property in your care. Oftentimes, this means being proactive about finding solutions to common disasters in your area. For example, if your town experiences heavy rainfall and flooding, it doesn’t have to automatically spell doom for your property. By installing food detection devices on your property, you can stop damage in its tracks. Certified Restoration offers flood detection devices that alert you the moment they detect water so that you can quickly respond. As for other events, like fires, simple steps like ensuring the grounds around your property are kept free of flammable debris, and advocating for flame-resistant materials to be used in building upgrades can go a long way in reducing damage. While these actions may not seem like much, they can reduce stress and expense when a disaster does occur.
During a Disaster
Communication is key for a coordinated and safe response. Do your best to maintain communication with residents before, during, and after the disaster strikes. Use your existing communication channels to alert residents and remind them of procedures and resources.
- Social media
- Text messaging
- Other apps your community uses to stay connected
After a Disaster
- Assess property damage on-site and determine what your needs are. Be ready to help occupants access emergency resources. As a property manager, you take pride in providing a safe, usable building for occupants. The best way to safely get your property back in working order is to enlist the help of qualified restoration professionals.
- Contact a local emergency restoration contractor to help quickly address any damage done
As a property manager, you take pride in providing a safe, usable building for occupants. The best way to safely get your property back in working order is to enlist the help of qualified restoration professionals.
Certified Restoration is here to help San Diego Property Managers!
Certified Restoration offers 24/7 emergency restoration services in the San Diego area. No matter the disaster, our team has the equipment and experience to restore damage safely and efficiently on your properties, and get your residents back in their homes as soon as possible.
Download the free Emergency Response Plan workbook to prepare for disasters.
Natural disasters are incredibly stressful for residents and property managers and can result in serious water, fire, and mold damage to affected communities. Implementing a strong disaster preparedness and management plan can help to keep your residents and properties safe, and take at least some of the stress out of the situation. As a property manager, it is your responsibility to communicate with residents and have clear procedures for the management company and residents to follow in the event of a disaster.
Our main takeaway? Be a resource for your residents and know who to turn to for help in the event of a natural disaster. Certified Restoration offers 24/7 emergency restoration services in the San Diego area. Our team has the equipment and experience to restore damage safely and efficiently on your properties, and get your residents back in their homes as soon as possible.
