September is National Preparedness Month, an annual awareness event sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (http://www.ready.gov/September). Owners of SERVPROR franchises in the Charleston area say this is a great time for business owners to review their emergency preparedness and business continuity plans. SERVPRO points to startling statistics like this one to emphasize the importance of advance planning: according to FEMA, as many as 40 percent of businesses never reopen following a major flood disaster.
“Business owners who think they are prepared for an emergency because exits are clearly marked and fire or flood drills are parts of the regular routine really need to take another look at their preparations,” said Sue Steen, Servpro Industries, Inc. chief executive officer. “A comprehensive emergency plan also contains critical information about the location of shut-off valves, fire suppression system controls, emergency contact numbers and more—information that can save emergency responders precious time and help contain damage and minimize injury.”
Because SERVPRO knows the time to create a disaster readiness plan is before you need it, they have developed the SERVPROR Emergency READY Program (https://ready.servpro.com/home/mobileapp) to help business owners create an Emergency READY ProfileR (ERP) for their facility at no charge. The business owner works with SERVPROR to gather and document information that will become critical if a disaster strikes. Once the ERP is created, business owners have access to their information 24/7 online and by using SERVPRO’s free smartphone app.
“For a business to survive and thrive, it needs to get back to business as soon as possible after a disaster strikes,” said Steen. “With an ERP in place, SERVPRO’s Disaster Response teams can immediately assess the situation and take the first critical steps to protect employees from harm and property from further damage, setting the business on the road to recovery.
SERVPROR professionals specialize in disaster restoration, cleanup and repair services, helping to remediate damage and making it like it never even happened for both commercial and residential customers.
For more information on the SERVPROR Emergency READY Program, visit https://ready.servpro.com/home/mobileapp.
