We all hope that a storm or catastrophic event doesn’t affect us, but as a storage facility owner you need to prepare for the possibility. Being organized will help you complete repairs quickly, avoid employee confusion, reduce frustration for your customers and process claims to your insurance company in a timely fashion.
- Emergency Kit
Every operator of a storage facility should have an emergency kit. This contains not only the obvious items but things like phone numbers for contacts that may be needed, Items used to warn customers and many other things. Click here to find a list of items that should be in your emergency kit.
- Vendors
Have a list of vendors with their contact information that you may need to use for repairs at your facility. Not only is it handy to have for every day issues, but if an unforeseen event happens it will eliminate the stress on yourself and employees.
- Prepare your facility
Inspect the grounds and buildings at your facility before a predicted storm. Look for large items that are not anchored down. These items could cause damage if they are blown into a building, vehicle or people. Tie or strap items down, store the item or if it is no longer used, dispose of it. Check your buildings for any issues that may become bigger issues. Such as doors not stable, leaks and etc. Getting ahead of these issues before they become a bigger problem will help lessen the repair and or cost.
- Pull out the insurance policy
Understand your policy. Ask your agent questions such as: Does my policy cover business interruption? What is covered during a catastrophic event? What are my out of pocket expenses?