Contingency planning: A word from the wise

BY ART JOHNSON, CR, WLS

To quote a well known proverb,

“Shrewd is the one seeing the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself, but the inexperienced have passed along and must suffer the penalty.”

These are wise words.

School districts are under extreme pressure to be back in business as soon as possible when they are faced with perils like water/flood, fire, smoke damages, hazardous materials spills, or even an influenza outbreak situation. Developing a sequential action plan to help deal with these catastrophes is very wise, shrewd, and intelligent.

There was a day that, in many households, at least one member of the family stayed home as the children were growing up; if the school was closed, there was always someone around to look after the children. Unlike in my day, those times do not exist for the most part any longer. Parents scramble every time there is a pro D day – let alone an event that closes the school for any length of time.

A good contingency plan, then, is essential in reducing both the time that the school schedule is interrupted and the extent of damage that one of these catastrophes may cause. Let’s consider some details that may be included in this plan.

Look at the area surrounding the school, some of the issues that must be considered may include: • Where is the facility located? • Is there a river or a stream nearby? • Are you on a flood plain? • Is there a forest nearby with the potential of a wild fire or a wind storm? • Where are the locations of the fire hydrants? • Who are your neighbors - chemical manufacturer, a farm, a garbage dump…? • What is the potential for vandalism?

Look at the indoors:

• What is the condition of the plumbing, its age and material make-up? • What about the fire suppression system? • What is the risk of interior vandalism? • What is the condition and age of the roof? • Where are all the chemical and hazardous products stored?

This list can not include every risk out there, but as a restoration company, we have handled all of the above. Having a sure plan in place is imperative when it comes to dealing with them when they do occur.

It is essential that the right resources be identified, before

hand, so that the response time is minimized and the issues can be addressed in a professional manner. Some of these resources may include, but are not limited to: the fire department; first response teams, both internally and externally for board ups, sewer and fresh water loss clean ups, drying, triage, equipment cleaning and repair, and data recovery. Other services may include: security services, plumbers, HVAC contractors, electricians, sprinkler and fire security contractors, and window glazing companies.

A good contingency plan would likely answer items such as who receives or is available to take the emergency call. Is it the night time custodian that discovers the loss or situation? If he does, who does he call?

In one of the claims we were involved with, the person who had all the emergency numbers was on holidays and his back-up was not available. It would be prudent to post emergency contact numbers for supervisors and outside first responders in an area that is accessible to these individuals.

For school facility staff who are all by their lonesome as they tend to their cleaning duties, a good flow chart that guides the individual through the process of dealing with situations like these could prove be very valuable; it could include such items as where to go from here, along with the steps that they can take to reduce the damage or even just what to do in various situations.

Another excellent question to address on the contingency plan is where are the shut-off valves for the water system if there is a leak? All too often, the shut off valves are not clearly marked throughout the building – and rightly so if there is a risk of vandalism, but if this is not possible, having a good schematic available would help. We have been called out to a number of floods that, by the time we arrive, they have yet to find the controls, and the damage is significantly greater.

When it comes to your internal resources doing a remediation after a fire or a flood, it is imperative that they have sufficient training. Water damage that involves hard wood gymnasium floors must be addressed immediately, using state-of-the-art drying techniques; affected wall cavities have to be made accessible for effective drying or smoke residue removal. The residues from a sewer back-up or a fire may contain bio-hazards or carcinogens that could have an adverse effect on some of the students attending the schools. Through all of this, the indoor air quality standard must be maintained. Those having asthma or sensitive immune systems may not be in a position to handle these contaminates effectively, and thus the residue may create long term negative reactions and effects. All of these areas of restoration have training and certification available and thus reduce the risk of liability down the road.

If you are trusting the services of restoration to an external first responder, it would be prudent to do your homework first to ensure that they can respond in a timely manner, that they have the proper training that the project requires, and that they have the right equipment to do the job thoroughly and efficiently. Their contact information should be readily available to all parties that may find themselves in a position to need their services.

Over the years, I have seen some very good examples of effective emergency control flow charts that walk you through, step by step, every scenario that a person may encounter along with the action necessary at every juncture. Having contingency plans in place would certainly reduce the stress associated with claims both for you and your staff.

Facing calamities need not take people by surprise; they are a normal part of the building maintenance business. A good, upto-date contingency plan is sure to separate the inexperienced from the shrewd. Remember that saying (author unknown), “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” ❏