Creating an Emergency Communication Plan: A Guide for Businesses in Southeast Grand Rapids

9/4/2024 (Permalink)

Emergencies like storms, flooding, and fires can strike without warning, disrupting business operations and potentially causing significant damage. For businesses in Ada, Kentwood, Grand Rapids, and East Grand Rapids, having a robust emergency communication plan is crucial to ensure safety, minimize downtime, and recover swiftly.

What is an Emergency Communication Plan?

An emergency communication plan outlines the procedures and channels your business will use to communicate before, during, and after an emergency. This plan helps ensure that everyone—employees, customers, and stakeholders—receives timely and accurate information, which is essential for maintaining order and safety.

Steps to Create Your Emergency Communication Plan

1. Assess Your Risks: Identify the specific risks your business faces. In Southeast Grand Rapids, you might be concerned about severe storms, flooding from heavy rains, or fires caused by electrical issues. Understanding these risks helps tailor your plan to address the most pressing concerns.

2. Establish Communication Channels: Decide how you will disseminate information. This could include phone trees, emails, text messages, or social media updates. Ensure that these channels are reliable and accessible to all employees.

3. Designate Key Contacts: Assign roles and responsibilities for managing communication. This should include a primary contact person for each type of emergency and backup contacts in case the primary person is unavailable.

4. Create Message Templates: Develop pre-written messages for different types of emergencies. These templates should be clear and concise, providing essential information such as safety instructions, evacuation procedures, and status updates.

5. Train Your Team: Regularly train your employees on the communication plan. They should know how to receive and relay information and understand their roles in an emergency situation.

6. Test and Review: Periodically test your communication plan through drills and simulations. Review the plan regularly to incorporate new risks or changes in your business operations.

Local Considerations

For businesses in Ada, Kentwood, Grand Rapids, and East Grand Rapids, it’s important to consider local resources and emergency services. Familiarize yourself with the contact information for local fire departments, police, and emergency management agencies. Collaborate with these entities to ensure your plan aligns with community protocols and resources.

By having a well-defined emergency communication plan, your business can navigate emergencies more effectively, protect your employees, and maintain operations as smoothly as possible. At SERVPRO of Southeast Grand Rapids, we’re here to help you prepare for and recover from disasters, ensuring your business can withstand any storm, flood, or fire.

Stay Safe and Prepared

Preparation is key to resilience. Invest the time and effort now to create a comprehensive emergency communication plan. Your future self—and your business—will thank you.

Call SERVPRO® at any time if you are experiencing an emergency due to storms, fire, water or a biohazard. We are here 24/7 to help at 616-977-9800.

It's spring. Here's how to allergy-proof each room of your home

4/10/2017 (Permalink)

Warmer-than-normal weather launched allergy season early this year, pumping up pollen counts across much of the nation. And if you think you can retreat indoors to relieve your sniffles, think again.

Two thirds of people with allergies suffer them year round, said allergist James Sublett, M.D., co-founder of Family Allergy & Asthma in Lousville, Ky. And the leading cause of those year-round allergies are dust mites, animals and cockroaches, he said, all of which make their homes inside of ours.

Outdoor allergens will make it into our homes through normal ventilation, Sublett said. "And of course it gets tracked in, too."

If you can't escape allergens, it's time to go on the attack. Here are Sublett's tips on allergy-proofing each room of your home.

The bedroom

Your bedroom deserves the most attention, Sublett said, since you lie and breathe there for eight or so hours a night. Dust mites live primarily in bedding, so buy a set of high-quality, mite-proof encasements for your pillows and mattress. They should be tightly woven with zippers that seal completely. Wash all your bedding weekly in any temperature of water to kill any mites. Doing this weekly is key as it ensures you eliminate both mites and their eggs before they hatch, Sublett said.

If you're allergic to pollen, it's a good idea to shower at night before bed. And consider keeping your room a pet-free zone, as a Golden Retriever can track in allergens on a high pollen day.

The living room

Your living room, and any space you spend much time in, should have "smooth surfaces as much as possible," Sublett said. Smooth, clear surfaces wipe down easily, such as a hardwood floor or a plastic chair. Window blinds are perhaps preferable to drapes for the same reason, he said. Avoid rugs or carpeting whenever possible.

"I know the carpeting industry doesn’t like this idea, but when you have a carpet, you do have like a big sponge there that collects dust," he said. "Normal activity is going to throw that back up in the air."

If rugs and carpeting are unavoidable, regular vacuuming removes much of the dust. Sublett recommends a respirator mask to protect from particles while cleaning—just make sure it's an N95 respirator that's NIOSH-approved, he said. Finding a high-quality disposable air filter for your furnace is important, too, Sublett said. Most are made to be replaced every three months.

The kitchen

Your biggest enemy in the kitchen is mold. Periodically clean any spots where leaks or spills might occur, including under the sink and your refrigerator's drain pan, Sublett said. When you do clean, avoid products with strong odors or fumes. Sublett prefers a small amount of bleach mixed in a bucket of water with some dishwasher detergent. And seal food in stored containers, leaving nothing that might attract pests such as cockroaches.

The bathroom

Using a ventilation fan when you shower helps cut back on your home's humidity, which should stay under 50% to ensure dust mites lack the moisture to thrive, Sublett said. A humidistat will help you measure it. Avoid humidifiers or vaporizers in the home, too.

The laundry room

Don't leave out piles of damp clothing and towels, Sublett said, which become a welcome mat for dust mites and mold. Ensure your clothes dryer vents to the outside of your home, too, doing away with excess moisture.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/03/24/s-spring-heres-how-allergy-proof-each-room-your-home/99563062/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomnation-topstories

Have Questions? Gives a call – SERVPRO of Southeast Grand Rapids 616-977-9800

For Immediate Service in Southeast Grand Rapids, Call SERVPRO

4/10/2017 (Permalink)

Southeast Grand Rapids Residents: We provide immediate service day or night!

SERVPRO of Southeast Grand Rapids provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster in Southeast Grand Rapids. We can respond immediately to your emergency and have the expertise to handle your restoration or cleaning needs.

• 24-Hour Emergency Service
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Have Questions? Call Us 24/7 – 616-977-9800

Residential Services

Whether your Southeast Grand Rapids home needs emergency flood damage or your upholstery cleaned, you can depend on us.  Our technicians have extensive cleaning and restoration training and can make your property look its best. Learn more about our residential services:

• Water Damage Restoration
• Fire Damage Restoration
• Mold Remediation
• Storm Damage Restoration
• Cleaning Services
• Building/Reconstruction Services

Commercial Services

There's never a convenient time for fire or Water damage to strike your Southeast Grand Rapids commercial property. Every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when the need arises for professional cleaning or emergency restoration services we have the training and expertise to respond promptly with highly trained technicians to get your property back to business. Learn more about our commercial services:

http://www.SERVPROsoutheastgrandrapids.com/commercial-cleaning

• Commercial Water Damage Restoration

Commercial Fire Damage Restoration