Residents of Florida are used to dealing with catastrophic natural disasters. Business owners in the state must prepare. An emergency plan is necessary when natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, flooding, and high winds occur. Hurricane season begins June 1. Ready.gov provides an extensive preparation plan to help you get started. Check out this link to see more. Let’s look at steps to take to be hurricane-ready this year.
Emergency Contacts
Hurricanes and other natural disasters are tracked well in advance. There are natural disasters that occur without much warning. A detailed emergency plan with contact information listed should be available at all times in the event of an emergency. The following contact information should be part of your self-storage facility emergency plan:
- Fire department
- Police department
- Insurance agent and current policy
- Plumber
- Electrician
- HVAC contractor
- Updated list of employees
- Current list of tenants
- Vendors
- Site map
- Bank account records
- Building plans
- Utility services
Updated Business Inventory List
To speed up replacement, a current inventory list of items is necessary to speed up the process. Every 6 months, an inventory with photos of the property should be updated. Having photos of property owned by the business will make it easier for insurance adjusters to handle claims and expedite the process after the event.
Emergency Supply Kit
Employee safety is important in a self-storage business. If employees are stuck at the self-storage in an emergency, a supply kit will help them until help arrives.
- fire extinguisher
- first-aid essentials
- radio
- battery-operated lights
- water
- basic tools
- whistle or flare gun to alert authorities of the location
- non-perishable food items for 3 days
Legal protections
Lawsuits arise following disasters that result in loss. Lease agreements should regularly be assessed by a lawyer familiar with local laws in Florida, or whatever state where the business operates.
Checklist of Steps to Take
A checklist of action steps is necessary to help self-storage business owners think clearly in an emergency. We recommend downloading the JaxReady checklist to help get started creating an emergency preparedness checklist. This list is thorough and will assist self-storage business owners with steps to begin.
Where to turn for help
It’s always great to have a support system. In addition to the contact information listed above, Coastal Storage is a beneficial resource for clients. As the Argus Self Storage Network Affiliate for Florida (excluding the panhandle) and Georgia, we are available to clients when disaster strikes. We provide consultation, assistance, and helpful contact information to get your business running again. Call us today at 904-591-0140 to work with one of our experts in finding self-storage solutions to grow your investments.