Reprint: An Emergency Preparedness Checklist

Editor's Note: When SIBA moved to its current platform, many older resources and archives could no longer be found in searches. SIBA is updating and republishing important articles as they become relevant.

May, 2024

About a month ago, I was getting ready for bed, and I received a call from the president of our local Merchants' Association. "John, are you home? Benton's is on fire!" My adrenaline spiked. My wife and I jumped up. We got dressed. We sped to our bookstore.

Over the years, I've received a few of these nighttime emergency calls, as Michelle and I live only a couple of blocks away. We're often enlisted to help check up on things and report back to our fellow shop owners. We're happy to offer our eyes and ears to our neighbors, as we certainly understand the anxiety that an emergency (or rumor thereof) can cause. After all, we're in the same boat. 

During an emergency like that, there are instinctive steps you take to take care of yourself and your neighbor. Your mind kicks into survival mode, and you work with whatever you have to make sure your neighbors and their property are safe and secure. You send texts. You make phone calls. You inspect property. You help salvage the salvageable. You give out hugs. You wipe away tears. You do all of those things in a fit of passion as events transpire, but there are a lot of things that you can do before an emergency ever happens that will add to your capacity to respond and be of service. It's easy to see these things in hindsight, but I'll encourage anyone reading this to take a day to evaluate their emergency plan. Here are some simple, concrete steps to get started:

• Know your local emergency plans. All counties and municipalities have emergency plans for all measures of disaster.
  
  
• Get a Knox Box. A Knox Box is a little lock box that goes near your front door that local emergency responders have a key to. You put a key to your building in it so that they can gain keyed access to your building rather than having to break down your door.
  
  
• Update all of your neighbors' contact info. Can you get in touch with all of your neighbors? Can they get in touch with you? Our local merchants' association takes point on maintaining emergency contact info in our downtown area. Every year, we get a spreadsheet with updated info. It's been super handy.
  
  
• Meet with your insurance agent. Contact your insurance agent and tell them you'd like to review your coverage. Ask them to provide recommendations for coverage you may be lacking. Treat them like a member of your staff and give them clear expectations.
  
  
• Mitigate something. You'll never mitigate everything, but I'm sure you can think of one thing. Fix a rickety latch on a window that will protect you from a burglary. Clean a storm drain that will help protect you from localized flooding. Just walk around and look for something to fix, then fix it. I know there's something in need of repair that you've been putting off!
  
  
• Backup your data. This almost seems silly to say now, as backups and cloud solutions are built into almost everything, but don't take it for granted. Check your cloud settings to make sure they are working correctly.

For a complete picture of how to prepare, visit https://www.ready.gov/business. Take a day to do some prep work now. It will make your life unbelievably easier when an emergency happens to you, and it will turn you into an excellent resource if an emergency happens to your neighbor.

John Cavalier
Owner, Cavalier House Books