Last year, Hurricane Irma proved that, whether you live in a high-rise or a gated community, hurricanes are a real risk. Community association boards should have a hurricane preparedness plan to minimize damage and risk to homes and residents. But the strongest hurricane preparedness plan won’t be very effective if it hasn’t been properly communicated to residents or if the community’s staff and vendors don’t know their roles. Make sure that everyone knows what to do by following these important recommendations.
Communicate about hurricane preparedness well before the season arrives.
Communicating your emergency preparedness plan once or using just one communication channel isn’t enough. Reiterate your plan at regular intervals on your community website, in your newsletter, by email and during association meetings. Any policies that are specific to hurricanes and tropical storms should be reinforced whenever you communicate about hurricane preparedness.
Have a system for communicating before the storm arrives…and as the storm hits.
When an actual emergency occurs, it is especially critical that your community has a reliable communication system in place, like FirstService Residential’s Connect, which features a mass communication tool that can reach your entire community in moments. Share critical information with your community, including pre-storm plans, storm procedures, disaster relief information, shelter locations and hours, evacuation routes, emergency response numbers, information on shut downs of major building systems and, for those owners with special needs, the Municipal Vulnerable Persons registry. Continue to communicate with residents as long as possible through the storm.
Know you can count on your management company after the storm.
The same mass communication system you used before the storm will enable you and your management team to send email, text messages or phone calls with important information and warnings. The system is also invaluable post-storm, because some forms of communication can be received and delivered when others cannot due to storm damage.
Don’t forget your vendors.
Your trusted vendors need to know what you expect of them before, during and after an emergency. Conversely, the board needs to be aware of what the vendors are capable of and what resources they have available to keep your community safe. Discuss your emergency expectations with your vendors, and plan to meet with landscapers, roofers and other contractors prior to storm season.
Your community needs to have an actionable emergency preparedness plan in place, but it’s just as important to effectively communicate that plan and train everyone on their roles in it. This will minimize your association’s risk and increase resident safety, as well as maintain the financial health of the community.
For more information on hurricane preparation in your community, contact Bill Worrall at bill.worrall@fsresidential.com
