Property Owners Gain Disaster Preparedness Tools at DowntownDC BID Seminar

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Downtown commercial property owners on Thursday learned the latest valuable tips and available resources for disaster preparedness at the DowntownDC BID‘s Emergency Preparedness Seminar held at the National Museum for Women in the Arts (1250 New York Avenue NW). 

Expert information was provided by keynote speaker Debra Ballen, general counsel and senior vice president of public policy for the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

Ballen impressed upon the audience that the time to mitigate is not when a disaster is occurring or only if you believe your property to be in a hurricane zone, flood area or other high-risk location. “One in four businesses that close after a disaster never reopen,” Ballen said.

Ballen noted that D.C. has a relatively good track record with regard to natural disasters, but that our location is far from immune. The 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Isabel, “Snowmageddon,” the June 2012 derecho, and Hurricane Sandy all hit our area. 

IBHS is working to create and promote “resilient communities,” Ballen said, which focuses on “strong businesses and strong homes binding a community together.” When a disaster strikes, Ballen noted, it does a business no good if all employees have had their homes destroyed. Similarly, a community’s economic strength is destroyed when businesses are unable to operate. 

Simple steps can be taken to save thousands of dollars in home damage, Ballen said, including sealing roof decks and retrofitting and designing structures to a higher standard, all things IBHS is working to promote 

Real-world examples of disaster mitigation were then provided by a panel of experts during a discussion moderated by BID Executive Director Richard H. Bradley. Jennifer Burns-Frenzel, senior property manager of Monday Properties, John Hargrove, owner of SERVPRO of Washington, DC, Jason Hughes, director of utility services for DC Water and Kim McCall, outreach and engagement division director for the D.C. Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) all provided their own advice and spoke to their own experiences related to disaster preparedness in the region.

Hughes noted that the water infrastructure in DowntownDC is as old as the “extremely mature” systems in place throughout the District, which creates issues for his department. “The challenge with aging infrastructure is you don’t know when it’s going to happen,” he said of problems. “Communication is the most important” factor in dealing with issues, Hughes said, as property owners are often the first line to identify potential problems.

Many panelists referenced the recent deluge of rain in the region, which led to significant flooding and damage throughout the area.

Harwood said SERVPRO of D.C., which offers cleanup services and worked to repair the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks, received 100 claims in less than two hours amid the downpour. He stressed that getting out ahead of problems is always advantageous to business owners. “The programs we put together on individual buildings have paid off for much of our clients.” 

Burns-Frenzel mentioned a past an example of significant flooding in a building she helped manage because the roof drains were overwhelmed. “We got them back in their offices in five business days,” she said.

Many of the panelists, including Ballen whose organization offers templates online, stressed a need for disaster plans, education of staff, and test runs of plans as essential tools to mitigate disasters. McCall encouraged property managers to engage her department online, reach out to her director Chris Geldart and use their tools as resources to refine disaster plans and fill gaps.