If an emergency were to hit your apartment community, how would you react? Read on for ways to help ensure that you and your tenants are ready, should an emergency situation occur.
Have a procedure
Emergency procedures may seem unnecessary — until you actually need them! It is a good idea to check with your local government to see if there are specific requirements or recommendations for procedures to inform your tenants about what to do in case of earthquake, fire, tornado or other disaster. Be sure that your plan features a clear evacuation route that guides tenants out of the building to a safe gathering spot, as well as noting the location of fire extinguishers.
Be sure that you fully familiarize yourself with any automatic systems in your building. If corridor doors close automatically to prevent the spread of fire when an alarm sounds, for instance, you need to know this. In some buildings, elevators automatically descend to the ground level and become inoperable. Make your tenants aware of these details.
Provide emergency information
Furnish your tenants with a detailed list of emergency procedures and building systems, as well as a building diagram, posting these items near or on the back of the front door. Tenants should also have a list of essential emergency numbers, including your emergency contact number and those for the fire department, police department, gas company, electric company and poison control center. Also be sure to post the building address on the page of vital information, as it’s easy to become disoriented when placing an emergency call.
Help define “emergency”
To help tenants decide whether or not they need your help urgently, provide guidelines for the types of situations which constitute an emergency. Inconveniences such as a slow drain, an interior door off the hinges, or a stove burner that’s not working are items that likely can wait till morning. A sewer back-up, lack of heat in the winter, storm damage or flooding caused by a plumbing failure, however, could require immediate attention and might affect more than one tenant.
In the case of burglary, vandalism or a domestic dispute, a tenant should contact the police first. For fire or a carbon monoxide leak, instruct the tenant to call the fire department immediately.
Do practice drills
All the best planning in the world won’t help without regular trial runs, so be sure to work practice drills into your emergency preparedness plan. Your local government may have requirements or recommendations on how often your type of residential housing should hold drills. Contact your nearest fire department for details.
You can do your part as a property owner or manager to assist your tenants with safety and emergency preparedness. By providing a thorough emergency procedure and giving tenants the information they need to handle a variety of urgent situations, you help protect everyone involved.
