National Preparedness Month Theme: “Prepared, Not Scared”

This event offers a fantastic opportunity to examine one’s commercial real estate for sale or for lease, bringing it into line with current safety standards and readying the real estate for whatever fate may hold.

Week 1: September 1 – 7: Save Early for Disaster Costs

The theme for the first week of the month, “Save Early for Disaster Costs.” This applies directly to those involved in the maintenance and lease of commercial properties, as saving money for emergencies is a basic necessity for anyone who owns property. The large sums of money involved in commercial property transactions mean that maintenance is usually only possible while the property is earning at near its full capacity. Summoning the resources for major repairs can be a monumental task, which means that interruption in the healthy function of the property can easily be fatal to the enterprise. The only way to avoid this is to save as much as possible while the sun is shining.

Week 2: September 8 – 15: Make a Plan to Prepare for Disasters

The second week emphasizes the need to “Make a Plan to Prepare for Disasters,” which is also solid advice for property owners. The law requires well-worked out plans for evacuation during a fire, the spill of toxic chemicals, and any number of other events. The second week of September is an excellent time to make sure those plans are in place and properly accessible.

Week 3: September 15 – 21: Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters

This is an excellent cue for commercial property owners and investors to explore their responsibility to their community and the youth. There are three reasons to focus on youth in disaster preparedness. The first is that they are the group most at risk during a disaster if they are unaware of the proper steps to take, but they are quite capable of assisting if they are properly instructed. The second is that they will grow to adulthood, and lessons imparted while they were young will be carried with them through their entire lives. The third is that commercial property is quite often used by the young, and they are also the demographic most likely to misuse property that they perceive as public. Inviting them into the space and educating them will help them to take responsibility for their actions, improving their worth as citizens and safeguarding the physical integrity of the building at the same time.

Week 4: September 22 – 30: Get Involved in Your Community’s Preparedness

This week offers the chance to host preparedness programs and to make sure that the disaster mitigation plans are clearly communicated to the people. The commercial property owners will be able to let the community know about their particular needs in a disaster, as well as offering space to coordinate and other special features of their enterprise that are suitable for sharing. As everyone else will be working on community preparedness at the same time, the synthesis and reciprocal knowledge offered by this group activity may someday be priceless.