Property-damaging disasters have a unique way of uprooting your entire life, generally with little or no forewarning. A fire could start in your home or business unexpectedly or a fast-approaching storm could roll through the neighborhood, leaving your property charred or underwater with your possessions in tatters and a slew of additional sanitary and safety concerns.

When events like this happen, it can be devastating to you, your family, business, and neighbors. If you feel panicked, distressed or overwhelmed, just remember you’re not alone, and there are fast-responding restoration companies (like BMS CAT), just a phone call away, day or night, and ready to assist.

One of the few preventative measures you can take to make this experience less stressful is formulating a plan in advance. Having a list of salvage priorities will help you and your restoration professionals avoid wasting valuable time and money and could improve your chances of salvaging your belongings.

Creating a plan for what to do in case of a flood, fire or another disaster will give you the best chance of having an organized process and also rid your mind from the stresses of the unexpected.

Know Your Community’s Local Emergency Plan

Keeping a copy of your community’s local emergency plan and reviewing it regularly will ensure you understand what steps need to be taken in case of an emergency. It will also help to see how your home or business fits into the community’s procedure, so you can practice with your family and/or employees.

Having reviewed the community procedure and practiced it in drills will make the process more organized and leave less room for panic. For commercial property owners, it can be beneficial to know which government officials are involved in assisting with these procedures so you can discuss any questions you may have about the procedure in relation to your business.

Prioritize Your Belongings

It can be easy to get caught up in trying to get everything recovered after experiencing tragedy. Unfortunately, it may not be possible to get everything out before it is damaged. This is what makes prioritizing your belongings especially important. Establishing a list of your most important items before disaster strikes can prevent anything that may be imperative to your business, or extra close to your heart, from being forgotten in the hectic process of recovery.

A few things to think about may include electronic documents, physical records or documents, sentimental items, fire safes, and more. Working with a recovery team before you need one can help ensure they have a record of what is most important to you so there is no time wasted on trying to explain or remember the items.

How to Select a Disaster Recovery Team

Entire communities can often be affected by the same disaster, which makes finding a recovery team even more challenging, as everyone else is trying to get their property back to normal as soon as possible too. Experts in disaster recovery will know exactly what to do in case of emergency situations.

If you have not been through a disaster before, you could possibly make some mistakes that cause more damage in the long run. Smoke damage, mold, ventilation issues, and other problems can arise with the initial disaster if they are not handled correctly. Speaking with an expert right away will ensure you have the requisite knowledge on how to approach the situation without causing unnecessary and extensive damage.

You will want to make sure the company you choose is able to provide all the services you may need, such as remediation, decontamination, and more. Thinking of all the potential scenarios can help you be as prepared as possible in critical moments and get all the services you require from one company, allowing you to work with the same people throughout the entire process.

BMS CAT offers a no-cost responsive service agreement for businesses so they can have peace of mind in their time of need. Our experienced team of experts respond quickly to emergencies and will offer compassionate and understand care while we work with you to restore your home or business.