SERVPRO Supports Resilient Communities

10/2/2014 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is a Proud National Sponsor of the American Red Cross Ready Rating Program

To be a truly resilient community, its members need to understand that no matter how well prepared their own organization or household may be; we are all dependant in many ways on others.  For instance, your organization may rely on the transportation infrastructure to move your goods from place to place or for your clients to get to your facilities.  Or what about services that you may not be relying on directly, but your employees and clients do, such as reliable school hours and access to medical care? If the schools in your area were closed for several days, would all your employees be able to continue providing the daily work they do for your organization? Telecommuting to stay home and watch the children can be one answer, but it won’t work for everyone or every job.  Sometimes our vulnerabilities are beyond our direct control.   When a disaster strikes a community, everyone can be affected and we all have an interest in encouraging all the companies, governments, non-profits, schools, households and individuals that make up those communities to be just as prepared for disasters and other emergencies as our own organization.   We are all in this together.

That is a goal SERVPRO^® and its more than 1600 franchises were addressing when it became a national sponsor of the American Red Cross Ready Rating Program^TM in 2013.  SERVPRO^®, an industry leader in providing fire and water cleanup and restoration services and mold mitigation and remediation, responds to property damage emergencies ranging from small individual disasters to multi-million dollar, large-loss events. They have seen firsthand, the devastating results a disaster can have on an entire community, not just one organization or household. As a National Sponsor of the Ready rating Program, SERVPRO has joined with the Red Cross to help put the tools and resources that businesses, schools and organizations need to create and implement a comprehensive business continuity program that is simple, effective and flexible. With more than 10,000 Members that have joined the program already, it is making a difference. 

“SERVPRO® professionals know a lot about disaster cleanup,” said Chad Lewis, Marketing Services Division Manager at SERVPRO Industries, Inc. “One of the most important things we know is that it’s better to take steps to prevent or minimize damage from an unexpected weather event or other disaster than it is to try to clean up after it. That’s why we emphasize the importance of readiness to our clients. Being ready can make the difference between moving back into your home or losing it—or staying in business or closing the doors forever. You can afford to take time now to gather the necessary information and create a recovery plan, but you can’t afford that time after a disaster. That’s a time for action, not planning.”

The American Red Cross thanks SERVPRO for its continued support of the Ready Rating program to support resilient communities.