Disaster Preparation

7/24/2019 (Permalink)

Be Prepared for a Flood

When tragedy strikes the wake of destruction and demise can be not only crippling to a building but also the lives of those involved.  Such was the case of the historic burning of the Notre Dame Cathedral, in Paris, which occurred on April 15 of this year.  The buildings structural integrity became compromised as the fire raged on with the eventuality of the spire collapsing.  This landmark represented not only the vitality of a city but is also recognized as one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world.  How did this happen so quickly and where was the relief?  Upon researching this catastrophe, we have discovered some of the reasons that answer those questions.

These answers validate one of our core beliefs at SERVPRO – every building should have an Emergency Ready Plan (ERP) so when a tragedy does occur there is set protocol to follow. Let’s delve further into this and see how they could have possibly been avoided. 

In the case of the Notre Dame fire – a major cause for the rapid spread of the fire was a lack of communication between the guards with no true protocol to follow.  In fact they didn’t respond to the correct area until 30 minutes after the initial alarm sounded and found the fire to be out of control at that point.  The guard who first responded to the alarm was on his 3^rd day and getting ready to work a double shift. His lack of experience is in question.

In the aftermath, many inquiries were launched and found that the systems in place for such an event were outdated and likely wouldn’t have been able to deter the fire as it ripped through the Cathedral.  This was a horrific incident and will cost the city approximately $954 million dollars in renovations.  How could a SERVPRO ERP have helped to avoid the situation?

Our ERP’s are a highly detailed manifestos specific to a building which provides useful information – such as contacts and their phone numbers.  While it can’t aid in human error, it provides a step by step plan for when a tragedy occurs which can greatly aid in the reduction of the spread.  This includes contact info for all parties involved with the structure as well as pictures of where certain key components are located.   Water turn off valves / fire extinguishers / floor plans of the building are all parts of the ERP which are designed to ensure the safety of the people and the fastest response.

Our ERP’s are in place for the safety of your people and of the building itself and with SERVPRO providing this service free of charge you would be remiss not to take advantage.  Please contact to come and visit your facility in order to work up a plan which best suits your needs.  This will take a small amount of time and energy, but the benefits are immeasurable.  We look forward to working and preparing an ERP for your building.