Emergency Preparedness With FireWatch

We spend plenty of time providing the materials and/or services to the emergency responders who help keep our communities safe, but do we spend enough time preparing to keep us and our own businesses protected from unexpected events? Mother nature has proved to us that no matter where we are located geographically, we all face some uncertainties when it comes to weather events, natural disasters or even civil unrest. We may not be able to be fully prepared for all types of events but the more planning and steps we take, the better the outcome on our business operations. Receiving the tornado, flood or severe weather warning on our phones is not the time to start preparing. This should be done well in advance of those alerts and there are many steps we can take to reduce the impact of any given event. What do we as business owners need to be prepared? At a minimum, all businesses should be prepared with the following items: 

Have a written emergency or disaster preparedness guide. This document includes your company’s policy or response procedure for events such as fire, weather events or other natural disasters. Consider addressing the following: 

• Are vital records secure and backed up as needed? 

• Do employees know where to evacuate to? 

• Do you have a posted evacuation route if your building is open to the public? 

• Do you have an emergency contact list? (who to call in the event of an emergency other than 911) 

• Do you have an emergency kit? (first aid supplies, water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries, etc.) 

• Are building extinguishers inspected and functioning? 

• Do certain tasks need to be accomplished before we run out the door? (i.e. shutting off equipment, closing/locking doors, etc.) 

• Do you practice emergency evacuation drills with staff? 

Some additional questions to ask: 

• Are we conducting property walkthroughs regularly looking for loose siding, roofing, materials outside that could blow around in high winds and cause injury or damage? 

• Are there any low hanging branches or trees that could potentially fall damaging our property? 

• If you are in a known flooding area, do you have mitigation strategies in place to reduce damage?  

• Do we store equipment and supplies on elevated shelving to prevent damage?  

• Are our vehicles properly secured? 

• Are our tools locked up to prevent theft?