Assessing risk and planning ahead can help property managers and owners safeguard their assets, employees and tenants in the event of a disaster. Yardi® clients have an invaluable resource for creating and executing business continuity strategies—the procurement solution known as Yardi Marketplace™. Yardi Marketplace is a source for more than 1 million discounted MRO products and building supplies, including items for disaster preparation and recovery.  Yardi Marketplace is part of Yardi Procure to Pay™, a centralized procurement, invoice processing and vendor management platform. “Yardi recognizes the importance our clients place on having appropriate solutions in place.  Adequate disaster preparation includes having access to sufficient types and quantities of supplies before, during and after an event. We can help source those items quickly at competitive pricing,” said Tom Jennings, senior operations manager for Yardi Marketplace. The Yardi Marketplace team helps tailor emergency supplies and services to a client’s disaster and emergency planning program. After identifying potential threats at the local, regional and portfolio levels and establishing response plans, clients can stock the appropriate equipment and supplies from an online catalog.  A pre-approved personal shopping list makes purchasing the items fast and easy. Along with protecting assets and minimizing liability, adequate emergency planning is also critically important to attracting and retaining tenants.  Property managers can complement Yardi Marketplace’s resources with a handbook produced by BOMA International.  “Emergency Preparedness Guidebook: The Property Professional’s Resource for Developing Emergency Plans for Natural and Human-Based Threats” highlights the importance of emergency preparedness throughout the leasing process.  The guide, which covers emergency, evacuation and recovery plans, may be purchased at http://store.boma.org/products/emergency-preparedness-guidebook.  A list of “50 Items Every Emergency Tool Kit Should Have” is available here. The guide includes a checklist for disaster management that includes: Procedures for reporting an emergency Instructions...

With hurricane season in full swing on both coasts, we can all benefit from a refresher on hurricane preparedness for properties and residents. According to the National Weather Service, last year was relatively calm for hurricanes and tropical storms with property damages totaling just over $10 million. That’s a significant amount yet pales in comparison to $172 million in damages in 2012 and billions in recovery costs. Even the most basic planning can prevent costly property damage as well as injury and loss of life. Community safety tips Make sure that employees and residents are familiar with building-specific and community evacuation routes. It’s difficult to host community drills, so a push notification delivered via smartphone, article in the monthly newsletter, or social media post may draw the most attention. In high rise buildings, it is conventional knowledge to evacuate residents to lower floors, where wind conditions are more favorable. But be mindful of flood levels, informing residents to congregate on the appropriate floor that is above threat of water damage and below the worst wind. Interior rooms with fewer windows are favorable to exterior rooms. Keep shrubs and hedges trimmed. Top-heavy plants have a parachute effect in high winds. Keeping them trimmed low can minimize their ability to take flight. Call professional arborists to remove damaged or decaying limbs from trees even if they are not directly over buildings.  Branches and limbs are projectiles during hurricanes, increasing the likelihood of injuries and damages. Close the pool and bring in any accessories and patio furniture that are not bolted down. In addition to regular wear and tear during storms, these items may become  dangerous projectiles. Ensure that gutters and clean and repaired, especially as fall leaves become more plentiful. A simple clog can exacerbate flooding....