September is National Preparedness Month: “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today” – #NatlPrep
Each year, the US Department of Homeland Security recognizes September as National Preparedness Month (NPM) as a reminder to be prepared for emergencies. This year’s theme is “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”
With so many catastrophic natural disasters impacting the country in recent years – hurricanes, fires, floods, tornadoes, landslides, chemical spills, and more – a focus on disaster preparation is timely. Too often widespread devastation occurs when there aren’t enough or the right kind of resources in place when they’re needed.
Every business and every family should have a disaster plan in place. Of course, disaster recovery plans for businesses and families may look very different, but both should answer these critical questions:
Emergency Response.
What needs to occur during and immediately following a catastrophic event? How will you ensure the safety of those in your care? How will you communicate? How will you secure your property and irreplaceable possessions? Do you have crucial insurance, medical and contact information in a safe and accessible place?
Emergency Mitigation.
How do you safely secure your property and surroundings to limit further loss and damage? Do you know qualified responders and contractors who can readily identify and contain potential structural, electrical, chemical or biological hazards? Do you have any arrangements for safe housing, workspace and storage space in place? What other components of your daily operations need to be in place to stabilize your family or business?
Disaster Recovery.
How do you return your home and business to a normal or even safer situation following an emergency? Are you familiar with your insurance coverage and its limits to manage recovery expenses? Do you know qualified contractors who can provide safe removal, repair and cleaning of potentially hazardous materials?
A carefully crafted Emergency Plan saves money, time, and most importantly, lives. It should be reviewed and updated at least yearly by the key players, whether that’s a company management team, or a family’s primary providers. Communication is key: make sure that employees and family members know what to do in the event of an emergency.
#NatlPrep #IRSinsurancerestoration #insurancerestorationspecialists
Insurance Restoration Specialists, Inc. is a premier provider of emergency response, remediation and disaster recovery for fire, flood, environmental spills and biohazards in the New Jersey-Philadelphia-New York City area. With IRS included in an organization’s Emergency Response Plan (ERP), businesses will have a pre-qualified contractor with a master services agreement, pricing and insurance in place before a disaster occurs.
