Condo Media - February 2023 - 32

The Region MAINE
a simple sprinkler pipe leak causing
flooding and mold in an empty
unit or a fire destroying a wing of a
complex, the planning is critical for
knowing what should be done after
the final repair contractor's truck is
off the site.
Be Prepared
Emergency Response Best Practices
[By Jack Carr, P.E., LEED-AP]
You don't have to be a weatherman
to notice storms are more frequent and
fiercer. Nor do you have to be a news
broadcaster to recall all of the reported
residential damage from fire, floods,
and wind. Nor do you have to be an accountant
to recognize the cost of building
repairs are skyrocketing. What you do
have to do is... be prepared.
Here in Maine, being prepared means
your community has an emergency
response plan (ERP) in place. Disaster
planning is all about saving lives, reducing
suffering, and minimizing damage. ERPs
are a group of strategies to protect both
community members and their property.
Key elements of the plan are mitigation,
preparedness, response, and recovery:
l Mitigation includes identifying
threats and eliminating potential
danger with preventative maintenance
to reduce vulnerabilities;
32 CONDOMEDIA February 2023
l Preparedness requires welldocumented
and trained evacuation
routes, established muster points,
and a system to account for everyone
with an emergency contact system;
l Successful response in an emergency
is greatly improved with a
quick and decisive response requiring
knowing the location of the key
shut-off valves and safety features
both within and outside of the units.
It also includes updated lists of
qualified repair contractors;
l The recovery element of postdisaster
management is often
overlooked yet vital to the overall
success of the community's future.
Recovery is not simply the clean-up
after the disaster but a proactive
real estate marketing plan.
Whether the disaster issue is
ERP PLANNING STEPS
So how do you start? The board
should create and appoint a disaster
team made up at a minimum of a
member of the property management
staff and a board member. Residents
with skills in insurance, legal matters,
electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing,
and emergency response should
be sought to join the team. There
are many sources for general ERP
outlines. Your insurance company
may have prepared templates of these
types of plans for easy customization
to fit your community's needs. This is
very important as we all know every
condo community is unique in its
own way. High-rise communities
will require a more detailed evacuation
plan than a community with
duplexes or townhouses. Urban condominiums
will have different needs
than rural or suburban communities.
Amenities, special equipment, and
landscaping may be important issues
in the ERP. Demographics must always
be considered as a community
of young professionals may not
present the same safety challenges
as an association with a more
senior population.
The written plan needs to be approved
by the board. The plan should
be easy to access in multiple locations.
It should be periodically reviewed
and rehearsed. A good plan will have
a checklist of steps to be taken, procedures
to follow, and basic supplies
to have on hand. Your insurance carrier
or property manager may also be
able to provide disaster training guidance
and other resources. Just ask.
You may also want to consider seeking
training grants or funding through
CERT (Community Emergency
Response Training).
Condo Media - February 2023

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