September - National Preparedness Month

9/25/2017 (Permalink)

Are you prepared?

At SERVPRO of NE Albuquerque Restoration our main focus for September is Emergency Preparation Month.  We want to raise awareness and help initiate preliminary action, so that you will be safe and ready to act in the event of any size disaster.  

National preparedness Month is an annual event sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It is a means to raise awareness about the importance of preparing in-advance for the unexpected. SERVPRO of NE Albuquerque Restoration supports FEMA's initiative and encourages all property owners and families to take some simple steps in order to better prepare yourself for unexpected disasters. 

Step 1: Take the time to review, update, or create an emergency preparedness plan.  If you don't have a plan, let FEMA help you build one using their tools.(https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan) Additionally, you can call your local SERVPRO of NE Albuquerque Restoration and we use our expertise to help you construct a quality preparedness plan.

Step 2: Gather in a concise document, critical information that can assist first responders and help save your property. Gather information such as: location of shut off valves, fire suppression system controls, emergency contact numbers, etc.  It is a good idea to have a physical and a digital copy of all this information. Some disasters, such as a fire, can require you to quickly evacuate; this is where a digital copy comes in handy.  Compared to a disaster like a water leak, where a physical copy can be more accessible. Once you have the information together utilize the best of both worlds, physical and digital! 

An important distinction should be made when comparing an emergency preparedness plan to an evacuation plan. An emergency preparations plan acts as compliment to any and all evacuation plans. An evacuation plans importance is to help you safely evacuation the premise in the case of a disaster.  An emergency preparation plan is used to help you quickly restore your property and get back into your home/business as soon as possible.  The emergency preparedness plan is used to minimize downtime.

An Emergency Readiness Proposal (ERP) helps the property owner and/or manager to quickly reach out for expert help immediately following the disaster.  At SERVPRO of NE Albuquerque Restoration we have professional who will help you create an ERP. This is a free service that we offer to anyone who is interested, because we believe everyone should be prepared in the event of a disaster.