Disaster Recovery News

A small kitchen fire at Stanford Law School’s faculty kitchen was quickly taken care of, but the sprinkler system that went off as a result of the fire cause extensive water damage. The fire started when a small kitchen appliance ignited cardboard boxes full of tea.  The sprinkler system is what mostly put the fire out in the kitchen.

The Palo Alto Daily News reports that the basement up to the second floor in the Law School building was affected at about 6:30 pm on Monday, April 21, 2009.

Areas of the building affected include the faculty lounge, a conference room, the school’s café, student lounge, locker room, and the electrical room in the basement. Judith Romero, a spokesperson for the law school, reported: “There is visible water damage to walls and ceiling tiles, carpets and some furniture.”

The estimates on the damages have not yet been figured out.

Law schools, like many others, are full of typical school items: books, papers, documents, and periodicals…all things that can be extensively damaged by water. Something else these items have in common is that professionals can dry and restore wet documents and wet books.

Learn more about restoring water-damaged books and drying wet documents.

Business owners are not the only ones who should think about how to be prepared for an emergency at work. The American Red Cross states: “If you commute to work, make sure you know alternative routes and carry appropriate supplies such as a disaster supplies kit in your car and a compact kit on public transportation…The best way to make sure you and your place of business is safe is to be prepared before disaster strikes.”

Even if you do not think you are in a disaster-prone area, many things can happen when least expected. A key thing to remember is that disaster recovery should begin before the disaster for the sake of business continuity. Just like one looks at risks from a financial and economical standpoint, one should also look at them from a physical point of view. Up to 25% of small businesses do not reopen after a major disaster because they were not prepared with a plan. Not making an emergency plan is something your business should not risk. Here are some tips one may wish to include in their business emergency disaster plan:

Keep phone lists of your key employees and customers with you, and provide copies to key staff members.

If you have a voice mail system at your office, designate one remote number on which you can record messages for employees. Provide the number to all employees.

Arrange for programmable call forwarding for your main business line(s). Then, if you can’t get to the office, you can call in and reprogram the phones to ring elsewhere.

If you may not be able to get to your office quickly after an emergency, leave keys and alarm code(s) with a trusted employee or friend who is closer.

Install emergency lights that turn on when the power goes out. They are inexpensive and widely available at building supply retailers.

Back up computer data frequently throughout the business day. Keep a backup tape off site.

Use UL-listed surge protectors and battery backup systems. They will add protection for sensitive equipment and help prevent a computer crash if the power goes out.

Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone alert feature. Keep it on and when the signal sounds, listen for information about severe weather and protective actions to take.

Stock a minimum supply of the goods, materials and equipment you would need for business continuity.

Consult with your insurance agent about precautions to take for disasters that may directly impact your business. Remember, most policies do not cover earthquake and flood damage. Protect valuable property and equipment with special riders. Discuss business continuity insurance with your agent.

Keep emergency supplies handy, including-

• Flashlights with extra batteries.
• First aid kit.
• Tools.

Food and water for employees and customers to use during a period of unexpected confinement at your business, such as if a tanker truck over-turned nearby and authorities told everyone in the area to stay put for an extended period.

Learn more about developing a disaster plan for your business. Disaster recovery services can help one preserve documents and data, restore damaged documents, rebuild after a fire or water damage, and even deal with mold. Include a disaster recovery service in your business’ emergency plan.

Video about the fire at the View Point Inn, as seen in the Twilight movie

A fire broke out Sunday night at the historic View Point Inn in Corbett, OR. Carl Linde built the Inn in 1924 for Grace Palmer. The Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places. This is also where the prom scene was filmed in the popular movie, Twilight.

The fire started within the walls of the kitchen and spread to the floors above it. The kitchen is currently out of service because of the blaze. The basement and a second-floor room have also been damaged.

Co-owner, Geoff Thompson, reported, “We had a great dinner and then smoke started coming out of the kitchen’s light fixtures.”

Angelo Simione, the other co-owner of the View Point Inn, stated to KPTV: “(It’s) very disheartening to see the damage like this. We’re working day by day just to keep this place going, to keep the business going. Small business has been hurt pretty badly, so this fire is the last thing we needed.”

Like Simione stated, business continuity is greatly affected after a disaster like a fire. One of the first things business owners should do after a disaster is contact a fire restoration specialist who can help restore important documents and the structure of the building. More on business continuity and fire damage recovery.

Learn more about creating a disaster plan for your business.  

The Weather Channel has posted a severe weather alert for the regions of southwest Washington to northwest Oregon. The forecast calls for heavy rains and strong winds starting on Tuesday morning. The severe weather is expected to last at least through Wednesday night.

The snow levels will lower to around 4500-5000 feet. Accumulations may get up to 5 inches before the snow level rises again.

The Weather Channel states:

“IT IS NOT CERTAIN YET WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAIN FALL WILL BE FOCUSED

BUT THIS MODERATETO HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE SOME RIVERS AND STREAMS

TO RISE RAPIDLY.URBAN AND STREET FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE...

ESPECIALLY WHERESTORM DRAINS ARE BLOCKED DUE TO LEAVES…STRONG WINDS

ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING

WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH AT TIMES NEAR BEACHES AND HEADLANDS.IN

ADDITION TO THE WIND AND RAIN...ANOTHER CONCERN WITH THIS STORM WILL

BE THE POTENTIAL FOR MINOR TIDAL FLOODING IN AREA BAYS AND ALONG THE

COAST…THE STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL LIKELY BUILD WEST SWELLS ALONG

THE COAST TO 16 TO 18 FEET... THE RESULT MAY BE MINOR TIDAL FLOODING

OF LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THECOAST AND BAY SHORES ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY

MORNING AND THURSDAY MORNING.”

All the details of this storm are still uncertain as this system is still developing. Those who live in this area of the country should check their local weather station’s bulletins for up-to-date news on the status of the storm. Those who reside in areas in danger of flooding should take measures to prevent water damage. A disaster recovery specialist can assist those who have experienced water damage to help prevent mold and restore important items such as documents, photos, and books.

More on recovering from water damage.

Photo by oregonianphoto.

Do your fire and smoke alarms work? Really?

The Post-Bulletin in Minnesota reports the fire marshal of St. Paul, Jerry Rosendahl, suggests the end of daylight savings time is a good part of the year to replace batteries in fire alarms. It is also suggested that alarms that are at least ten-years-old be replaced with new ones.

The fire marshal stated that 90% of homes in the United States have fire alarms, but as many as 30% of those alarms do not work because of old age or the batteries are dead. In Minnesota, 25% of the home fire-related deaths occurred in homes that did not have a working alarm.

Check out the U.S. Fire Administration for tips about fire and smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. It is recommended that a fire alarm be installed on every level of a home and outside the door of every bedroom.

Fortunately, there are services that can help restore your home and business after a fire. Click here to find out more about how such services can help clean, decontaminate, disinfect, and restore various types documents.

Photo by Cayusa.