Preparing for Water Damage Disaster for Properties

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

Would you know what to do if emergency water damage happened at your property?

Would you know what to do if emergency water damage like a burst pipe or heavy rain intrusion happened at your property? Chances are you don’t have a disaster preparedness plan ready.

We believe it is our responsibility to educate our community about how to protect themselves and their properties. That includes informing our customers about the water damage restoration process so they know what to expect from a professional water damage expert.

Because we take our responsibility to you seriously, we also want our community to know what to do before we arrive at the job. SERVPRO of Streamwood, Bartlett, West Chicago, & Warrenville is your partner when water damage strikes and we want you to have the right information so you can help us mitigate the damage before we arrive.

What should you have in a disaster management plan?

• Contact information for parties you need to involve.
• Where to locate and how to turn off natural gas.
• Where to locate your emergency water shut-off valve.
• Information about how to shut off fire sprinklers.
• Know the safety features of your property & where to locate them.

Building & Emergency Contacts

The first part of disaster preparedness is knowing who to call and how to reach them before an emergency or disaster happens.
The obvious contact to have on hand is your insurance agent, but they won’t be much help in mitigating damage. Your obligation to them is to do your part in preventing more damage from happening when a pipe bursts. Therefore, you’ll need to know who to call to satisfy your insurance agent.

Which Contacts Do You Need When You Need Help?

1. Emergency Services

• Fire Department
• Police Department
• Health Department
• Department of Transportation (spill response)
• Poison Control Center

2. Contractors

• Plumber
• Electrician
• Locksmith
• Security Service

3. Building Contacts (for rentals housing developments, HOAs, or commercial properties)

• Building Owner
• Onsite Management
• Offsite Management