As we head into the end of the hurricane/storm season, Hurricane Ian reminds us of the devastating effect of natural disasters. The Houston area is still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. As such, we at ERC would like to offer the following steps to prepare for a natural disaster and how we can help you recover.
Preparing for a storm requires due diligence before the storm, as well as assessing what is needed to recover from one. Preparation for post-hurricane damage is critical. Questions you should be asking:
- What is your company’s disaster response plan? Do you have one?
- Who’s in charge?
- Are there agreements in place for response?
- Do you have an inventory of hazardous substances within your facility?
- What is the plan for communication? This will be key to your business recovering.
- How will work be documented during the recovery process?
- Do you understand your insurance policies and what they will and will not cover?
- Do you have all your employees’ contact information in one place?
- Do you know what resources are available to you to build back your business?
- What local regulations may affect your business recovery efforts?
The Small Business Administration offers some great tips on developing a plan: https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/prepare-emergencies with checklists and safety tips readily available.
Once you have a disaster recovery plan in place, be sure to visit it at least once a year and update it with new information – such as new employees, changes in insurance companies or policies, and changes in local regulations that may impact your recovery efforts.
If you work for a governmental or non-profit organization, there are Purchase Cooperatives that now offer Disaster Recovery contracts with vendors already pre-qualified according to the State and Federal purchasing regulations. ERC holds Disaster Recovery contracts with three top notch coops:
- Choice Partners Contract – Disaster Mitigation with Restoration (JOC-IDIQ)
- Goodbuy Contract – Disaster Recovery and Remediation (JOC)
- TIPS Contract – Disaster Restoration and Emergency Recovery (JOC)
These contracts can assist your organization with getting back up and running without the long, drawn-out procurement process. We can come in and help with water removal, mold remediation, etc., then we can help build back your facility – all with the benefits of a single contract – a single organization to work with so you aren’t juggling various vendors through a tedious process.