Socially-Distanced Emergency: Life Safety from Afar

In the litany of new considerations with physical distancing and the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the more unique on the list is life safety. With many properties still below normal occupancy, the matter of life safety education and evacuation drills presents questions for many commercial real estate professionals.

It is to be noted that every jurisdiction is different. The most important first step in developing a physically-distanced evacuation, training or drill is contacting the local fire department or life safety organization about the specific allowances and ordinances in a specific location.

Making Modifications

Physical-distancing guidelines mean that traditional drills that usually included crowded stairwells or assembly areas are no longer as viable. Brock Ryan, owner and life safety consultant with Life Safety Solutions Plus, said that he has worked with local jurisdictions to get approval for certain changes for evacuations and drills. “As we look at the COVID concerns, we are now looking at modifications. Property managers are now giving the exact date and time of drills,” Ryan said.

Along with giving times and dates of drills, Ryan is also suggesting virtual training and modified movements during evacuations. Rather than exiting the building or going down stairwells, he suggests making sure all occupants find their stairwell, confirm their awareness of the assembly spot, discuss the plan for any physically limited occupants and return to work.

While different, Ryan said this version of a drill can still give occupants the education they need to act in case of an emergency.

“When it comes to an actual emergency, make sure your occupants and tenants know that if that fire alarm goes off, and there’s not a scheduled drill- this is an actual emergency and proceed with a full evacuation,” Ryan said.

Out of Office

Some properties are not operating at full capacity, but the safety of those inside and outside of the building is still paramount. Virtual training that reviews emergency procedures can be attended by those inside and outside the property. Occupants must be kept refreshed on the protocol for when they re-enter the property.

“Two hundred people’s lives are just as important as 2,000 people’s lives, so we have to make sure that when we do put people in a building, that those folks know exactly what to do,” Ryan said.

COVID-19 is an evolving virus and new information about best practices is evolving. That is why communication with tenants working outside the property is important. Keep them updated on any developments on the property in terms of life safety initiatives and alert them of any emergencies that do take place that is relevant to the operation of the property as a whole.

“As we continue to get more information on what the best practices are for these buildings, I believe a bi-weekly communication needs to go out from property management,” Ryan said.

“Two hundred people’s lives are just as important as 2,000 people’s lives, so we have to make sure that when we do put people in a building, that those folks know exactly what to do.”

It is also important to notify those visiting the property of any changes made to the evacuation plan. Be sure signage is clear, physical-distancing parameters are made clear and evacuation paths are updated on maps throughout the property. Whoever is greeting visitors at the points of entry should be prepared to educate visitors on any safety protocols put in place throughout the property.

Temporary Times

Modified drills and training are a temporary fix to a temporary challenge. Consistent and thorough life safety instruction and practice is important for the overall operations of the property and the safety of the tenants inside or outside of the building. “The only reason we are modifying this is because of the serious concern about COVID-19 social distancing,” Ryan said. “Once we are through this, we are going to get back to 100 % participation from everyone in the building.”

Emergencies do not care about COVID-19 and may occur no matter the occupancy in the property. Just how property managers have been working to responsibly ramp up their building systems, property managers need to make sure they are responsibly educating tenants on this topic.

Site-specific training may be a different process than in years past, but when developing a drill and training process for 2021, check with local jurisdictions to see what modifications may be made for a specific area. Incorporating training for tenants inside and outside the property will keep the procedures fresh in people’s minds and keep them prepared for if an emergency does occur.

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Your Big Questions About November Elections, Explained

By: Katie Roberts and Brian Robinson

In the midst of a national pandemic and economic downturn, it can be hard to remember there are significant federal, state, and local elections just two months away. We must prepare for the November General Election.

The National Level

At the national level, it’s no secret that President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are zeroed in on key battleground states in an effort to reach 270 Electoral College votes. In July, the independent non-partisan Cook Political Report moved Georgia from “leans Republican” to a toss-up state, joining Arizona, North Carolina, and Florida. Field staff and political advertisements from both campaigns are already flooding these states in an effort to secure votes for November.

Brian Robinson, a leading pundit of Georgia politics and owner of Atlanta-based communications firm Robinson Republic, notes that “eyes are on us in a way we haven’t experienced in decades. We almost never get presidential campaigns buying TV time here because for so long Georgia wasn’t in play; it was a dependable red state. In recent years, it’s ‘purpled,’ as evidenced by the one-percent margin in the 2018 Governor’s race and other statewide races that went to runoffs.” Robinson won’t call the state purple until Democrats are able to win a statewide race again.

Zooming In

Georgia is also in an exceptionally rare situation when it comes to the US Senate. US Senators serve staggered six-year terms, meaning a state’s two senators are not typically running at the same time. However, Senator Johnny Isakson’s resignation in 2019 has set up a highly unusual special election. On December 4, 2019 Governor Brian Kemp appointed businesswoman Kelly Loeffler to succeed Isakson. The appointment is only valid until voters can select a permanent replacement in November’s General Election. As a result, Loeffler is competing against twenty other candidates in a non-partisan November Primary Election. The top two candidates will go head to head in a January runoff election. Loeffler is being outflanked on the right by Georgia Congressman Doug Collins and on the left by Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s senior US Senator Republican David Perdue is in a regularly-scheduled election against Democrat Jon Ossoff. The 33-year old challenger came within four percentage points of winning a congressional seat in 2017. In May, Cook moved Georgia’s two Senate races from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican.” Now it’s shown as a toss-up.

According to Robinson, the polling progression is key in this race. “Over the past decade, we’ve seen Democrats look competitive in polling into the fall and then independents break toward the Republican. In Perdue’s first race and Governor Nathan Deal’s reelection in 2014, that’s what we saw. Will that pattern hold? If so, Perdue should return to the Senate for another term. Or, have the fundamentals in Georgia shifted dramatically enough that the late-breakers might go toward Ossoff?” Democrats would need to pick up three or four Senate seats (depending on who the Vice President is) to take control of the chamber.

Georgia has fourteen of the Congress’s 435 seats. Of those, six seats are being defended by Republican incumbents; four Democrats are also seeking reelection in contested races this November. Four seats are open, including District 5 which had been occupied by John Lewis from 1987 until his death in July.

Most of the fourteen seats lean solidly Democrat or Republican, meaning the General Election is less newsworthy. Two seats are considered toss-ups: Districts 6 and 7 in the north Atlanta suburbs. In District 6, incumbent Democrat Lucy McBath faces Republican Karen Handel in a rematch of their 2018 race. In the open District 7 race, Republican Rich McCormick is fighting to keep the seat red by defeating Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux.

Getting Local

Narrowing our scope to Georgia’s state-level elections, all 236 members of Georgia’s House and Senate are also up for reelection in November. Republicans currently hold a majority in both chambers. Twenty-two state Senators face a General Election opponent; while several seats are in play for Democrats, it appears the Senate will remain in Republican control. In the House, nearly half of incumbents have an opponent. District analysis indicates about a dozen GOP seats are poised to turn blue. Democrats need to pick up sixteen seats to take control of the chamber.

Control of the chamber is critical: the party that maintains a simple majority controls committee leadership and the prioritization of the legislation. Critically, in the upcoming years, the legislature will be tasked with redistricting. According to the Georgia constitution, the House and Senate must be reapportioned at the first session after each US decennial census becomes official. This process will consider population shifts and redraw House, Senate, and Congressional districts. It will have a substantial impact on legislative composition for the next decade.

The outcome of November’s General Election will reverberate far beyond the next four-year term presidential term, stretching into 2030 and beyond. Something that significant is certainly worth preparing for.

About the Authors

Katie Roberts serves as Director of Government Affairs at Fiveash-Stanley, Inc. In this role, she is critical in managing legislative and regulatory issues specific to the industry. FiveashStanley is recognized as one of Georgia’s leading government and public affairs consulting firms and has represented BOMA Georgia since 2000.

Brian Robinson owns Robinson Republic, a communications consulting firm that specializes in public affairs messaging throughout the state of Georgia. His clients include corporations, issue advocacy groups, chambers of commerce, public officials and political campaigns. Robinson Republic assists clients with message development, issue advocacy, media training, media relations and crisis management.

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