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Knowing Emergency Procedures Seen As Important Function of Apartment Manager
While natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes can’t be prevented, most apartment residents expect management to be knowledgeable in dealing with them. The same goes with such emergencies as fire, civil disorder and even bomb threats or hazardous material spills. Recent storms and floods in California, as well as earthquakes in San Francisco and Los Angeles, point out the need for unit managers to be trained and knowledgeable in dealing with emergencies. Many lenders and insurance companies, faced with claims from recent disasters, are looking into the idea of insisting that apartment managers know how to respond to most of the common emergencies.
“Every apartment manager should know the basics of CPR and evacuation methods of handicapped residents,” says John Maciha, the author of CODE 911: Emergency Procedures for Apartment Communities. Maciha, who spent 20 years in the property management business with the Arvin Company in Los Angeles, saw a need for a simple, straightforward manual on dealing with emergencies. Authenticated by a medical doctor as well as a 37-year veteran of the Orange County Fire Department, Maciha’s book has started a movement among apartment owners to see that management is properly trained to deal with such incidents as injury or death of a resident, natural gas explosions, medical triage, as well as incidents of crime and Knowing Emergency Procedures Seen As Important Function of Apartment Manager child abuse. Virtually every possible emergency and disaster situation is covered in the 240- page book along with a self teaching question-and-answer section.
Maciha says that emergency preparedness can save property owners money. And he’s not alone. Lenders and insurance underwriters believe that knowledgeable emergency response will not only save lives and property, but can also reduce liability for negligence claims.
“It’s only a matter of time before insurance companies start giving lower premiums to apartment units that have a well-defined set of emergency procedures in place,” said a high level East Coast underwriter.
Charles Esping of American River Bank in Sacramento says that bankers feel more secure with a loan made to projects where management is knowledgeable in dealing with emergencies. “I won’t be surprised if regulatory agencies start mandating evidence of emergency preparedness as a criteria for financing.”
CODE 911: Emergency Procedures for Apartment Communities (ISBN 1 883422- 44-7, 249 pages, trade paper) is available by mail for $49 (plus $3 shipping from Adams-Blake Publishing, 8041 Sierra St., Fair Oaks, CA 95628 or via credit card by calling (800) 368-ADAM |
