ERP, Emergency Response Protocol, is a plan of action that businesses follow should they ever experience a disaster, such as a fire or a flood. The logic behind creating an ERP plan is that if there is an emergency, the necessary steps to follow are already clearly defined. This includes who to call, where important building systems are located, and to prioritize which items to salvage, such as valuable artwork or memorabilia.
Businesses with an ERP are better equipped to recover from a disaster more quickly than a business that hasn’t planned for worst-case scenarios and must react on the fly. A swift reaction is critical since it’s important to act within the first 24 to 36 hours after an incident occurs to minimize loss.
The longer it takes for a business to begin mitigating the fallout from a disaster, the greater the chances they won’t re-open at all. In fact, 40% of small businesses never reopen after experiencing a disaster. Of those that survive, another 25% shut down within two years. Having an emergency response plan in place before a disaster strikes will make the mitigation process easier and minimize the amount of downtime before your business is back up and running.
Let Octagon Manage Your ERP
Octagon Cleaning & Restoration is a full-service restoration company specializing in:
- Water damage restoration
- Fire/smoke damage restoration
- Mold remediation
- Biohazard/crime scene cleanup
- Air duct / HVAC cleaning
- Carpet cleaning
We partner with businesses and property management companies to create and manage their ERPs. There is no charge for this service, although there is an understanding that should an event occur, the business will hire Octagon to perform any necessary disaster restoration work.
We partner with a variety of businesses, including:
- Offices
- Industrial
- Restaurants
- Educational facilities
Octagon also regularly works with property management companies to mitigate damage to residential buildings, such as apartments and condos.
We have pre-established, industry-standard price lists, so there won’t be any surprises should you experience a loss. We believe in being transparent and up-front with customers about what the recovery costs will be.
When an emergency happens, Octagon follows clearly-established protocols that we set into motion immediately. As a result, most businesses can get up back up and running 20% faster than if they tried to handle the cleanup on their own.
How to Create an Emergency Response Protocol for Your Business
To create the ERP, Octagon will visit your business and conduct a site survey. This entails our staff meeting with your building administrators and collecting site-specific information about your property and the business, such as:
- Emergency contacts
- Main water valves and shutoff
- Electrical systems and equipment
- Elevator systems
- Electrical equipment
- Mainframe room
- Sprinkler systems
- Air and heating systems
- Hazardous materials
- Valuables
- Building plans and any specific arrival protocols
From there, we will build a comprehensive emergency response and recovery plan, including deployment protocols for all manpower and equipment.
This information is then stored on Octagon’s secure cloud-based system. As a business owner, you’ll be able to access your account to check and update information at any time. Should you suffer a loss, any updates will be posted there as well.
Our risk response managers will continue to meet with your team on a regular basis to review your needs, update records for any site changes and ensure readiness. If a disaster or emergency strikes, we will immediately dispatch personnel with mobile devices to access site information and employ response protocols.
For example, let’s say during a cold snap a water pipe leading into your building breaks. Hundreds of gallons could pour into the building within minutes. With an ERP protocol in place, our team would be able to access the plan on the cloud and know exactly where to go to shut the water off, reducing damage to the building and most likely saving your business money.
Interested in partnering with Octagon to create your own ERP plan? Contact us today!