ERP: Saving You in More Ways Than One

11/7/2024 (Permalink)

Applicable to commercial buildings such as schools, hospitals, factories, restaurants, apartments, and more!

An Emergency Ready Program (ERP) is a free, pre-planned strategy designed to help your business respond quickly and effectively in the event of a disaster. Whether it’s a fire, flood, mold, biohazard, or storm, an ERP ensures that we have all the crucial information we need to act fast and minimize damage.

By creating an ERP, you provide us with key details like:

• Shut-off valve locations
• Priority areas and contact information
• Electrical panel locations
• Key vendors and service providers

Having this information at the ready allows us to respond without delay, saving valuable time—and ultimately, reducing damage. In turn, this means less downtime, lower repair costs, and less stress for you.

At SERVPRO®, we are available 24/7 for mitigation, restoration, cleaning, and construction services. No matter the disaster, we’re here to help you get back on your feet. Set up an ERP today, and rest assured that if the unexpected happens, we'll make it "Like it never even happened."

What Can An ERP Do For You?

7/12/2023 (Permalink)

Call us today to learn more about our ERP!

SERVPRO is all about preparedness. We prepare ourselves to always be ready at a moment’s notice whenever disaster strikes to provide swift assistance across the whole country, and we want to help other businesses prepare themselves for the same. One way we can help is providing them with an Emergency Ready Profile, or ERP. The ERP is basically a file that has all the information a building operator needs at their fingertips in the event of a disaster.

Did you know that as many as 50% of businesses close after experiencing a major loss? We have found that those who were able to act on an already established preparedness plan have a better chance of reopening after a loss, so SERVPRO decided to provide the ERP as a free service to help those businesses recover and stay open. Although some businesses might already have a contingency plan in place, an ERP guarantees that all the information that they need access to is in one place, plus some other benefits that they might not have thought about. But what are those benefits?

A map of every key shut-off in the building

No one wants to be in the middle of dealing with a major leak only to realize they don’t know the first place to look for the main shut-off. Having this information readily available is key to getting a head start at mitigating any damage. We will provide a floorplan showing exactly where each shut-off is so anyone with access can easily find those shut-offs at a moment’s notice.

A full map of the facilities

In addition to gathering the important information needed to respond to a loss, we offer a full 3D map of the building to go along with the ERP. Since SERVPRO creates a 3D map of every loss we work on for our quoting software, we can use the map we make for the ERP as a “before” reference for our project managers to work from. Additionally, the map can be used for more than just emergency preparation, and again, is completely free!

Special instructions and notes

Getting started on the mitigation process as early as possible is key to getting a business back on their feet, but that doesn’t mean that we need to skip over the important details and requests a business might have. Notes about where to park and which entryways to use can be put in the ERP and any SERVPRO franchise can review the info at any time.

Peace of mind

Knowing that a plan is in place and ready to be acted on, even if it never has to be used, is a huge intangible benefit to getting an ERP. When the details are already agreed upon and the ERP is easily accessible to anyone who might need it, no one needs to lose sleep imagining the worst happening to their building. Having a reference of what to do and who to call that anyone on the team can access will save countless hours of playing phone tag that could be spent on starting the mitigation process.

If you have any questions or want to set up an ERP for your building, let us know! Give us a call at (309) 346-5600 and we’d be happy to tell you more.

What is a Large Loss Response Team?

6/23/2023 (Permalink)

One requirement for becoming a Large Loss Response Team: having lots and lots of equipment on hand!

At the end of last year, our franchise celebrated an exciting new distinction—we earned and was awarded the title of a Large Loss Response Team! To commemorate this, we invited our family, friends and business associates from the community to our facilities in Pekin to share our success, tour our campus, and learn a little more about our journey to reaching this rare milestone. This was a great opportunity to thank those that helped us get here and share a vision of where we’re headed, including a reveal of the new branding for our Large Loss Response Team name: Team Fletcher. For those of you who don’t know what a Large Loss Response Team is, you might be wondering what all this fuss is about. Let us help explain!

A Large Loss Response Team, or LLRT, is a franchise that meets all 28 of the requirements to be pre-qualified to work on Large Losses for the Commercial Large Loss Division. This establishes us as part of a special nation-wide team ready to pick up the call for any size disaster anywhere in the country and even supervise the whole process of the Large Loss. While this does mean that we’ll be taking on more responsibility as a franchise, it also means future commercial clients gain the peace of mind knowing our team has the equipment, resources, and skill level to take on even the largest jobs. Being designated to handle restoration work for large commercial buildings doesn’t mean that we’re shifting our focus away from the work that got us here—all jobs of any size will be able to reap the benefits from this distinction because of our increased capacity for work.

We’d like to say thank you to everyone who helped us earn this distinction, especially our past customers. We wouldn’t have been able to get here without the support and kind words you’ve given our franchise throughout the years.

If there’s ever a disaster that leads to a Large Loss in the area, you can count on Team Fletcher!

Large Format Drying Equipment

7/1/2022 (Permalink)

This is one of the many pieces of large format equipment used to tackle large commercial jobs.

While all jobs are treated with the same importance, whether it is your Grandma's basement or you kid's Elementary School, not all jobs can be done with the same equipment. This is why at SERVPRO of Peoria we have specialized large format drying equipment to tackle large commercial jobs. 

What kind of drying equipment is used for large losses?

While we still use a lot of the same air movers, dehumidifiers, negative air machines, etc. there is other equipment we add for these large jobs. This equipment includes large trailer mounted generators, as well as large trailer mounted desiccant dehumidifiers. 

This allows us to rapidly speed up the drying process in situations where time means everything. Often times, these commercial structures are large office spaces, factories, hospitals, schools, and many others facilities. All of them need to be open as quickly as possible, and our team uses our resources to make that happen.

If you have a loss at your facility, call SERVPRO of Peoria at 309-346-5600 and allow us to get you back to pre loss condition as quickly as possible. 

Don't Let Mold Take Control of Your Business

6/13/2022 (Permalink)

Don't let mold stop operations. Keep your company open!

Mold is invasive. It finds its way into commercial spaces more often than a person may realize. Proper removal takes time, supplies, and proper procedure. So how does one prevent it so it’s not an issue?

Here are some tips:

Deal with the leaks 

Whether that be coming from the roof or due to plumbing, it is important to deal with them immediately. It’s going to prevent further water damage too.

Use a dehumidifier 

Your establishment’s humidity must always be maintained and kept at no higher than 50%. Standard. We understand how it can be challenging to keep track of information like this, so your bet is to install commercial dehumidifiers.

Ensure proper ventilation at all times

Keep your air vents and air filters clean, and that the enclosed areas of your establishment are free of moisture.

Deal with flooding after you stop the flow

Don’t let stagnant water sit too long and seep into your wooden walls, flooring, and furniture. That’s when Mold begins to form and spread.

By keeping these tips in mind, we are sure that your commercial establishment will be free of both mildew, smell, and mold. However, even with the mold control practices, these pesky fungi can still strike and be destructive.

Don’t stress, you can ask your professional mold remediation team to make a detailed plan for you that includes the costs and dates of the entire procedure.

To plan for the unexpected, you will need to set aside a budget for the following:

• Mold Inspection Cost
• Mold Testing Cost
• Mold Mitigation Cost

Feel free to practice the preventive measures that we have shared with you above. You never know, with these steps you might not even need a mold specialist in the first place. But if you do, you can call on us!

Winter Damage in Commercial Properties

12/29/2021 (Permalink)

Running a business comes with a lot of responsibility. One of those responsibilities is making sure that the property doesn’t suffer damages, especially during winter. Winter weather can be really hard on buildings. The best way to prevent any extreme damage is to make sure that you prepare and watch for the following types of damage:

HVAC Systems Damage

If your HVAC system is not functioning properly, you can find yourself dealing with any of the following problems:

• Frozen pipes
• Uneven airflow/temperature
• Malfunctioning heat pump
• Faulty pilot light
• Dirty heater filters
• Carbon monoxide leaks
• Broken thermostat
• Plumbing Damage

Frozen pipes are common during the winter. This can lead to excessive water damage, content damage, and it can mean that you are without water until the problem is fixed.

Asphalt Damage

Asphalt cracking from snow and ice can cause damage to your property, to vehicles on your property, and can even be a risk for injury. Asphalt can only be repaired in warm weather, but preventing damage during the cold months can help to avoid damage or injury.

Roof Damage

The roof of your property can be damaged by all kinds of things during the winter. The most common issues generally come from melting ice and snow, or even from the weight of large amounts of snow. The only way to really prevent this damage is to make sure that you are constantly checking the status of your roof.

Power Outages

Winter power outages can cause freezing temperatures on your property. When this happens it can interfere with the business’s ability to function and it can even lead to further damage if the freezing temperatures begin to affect the plumbing or the structure itself. It’s best to have a plan in place, just in case the power happens to go out on you.

Insulation Issues

Improper insulation can cause heat loss. It also means that the property is more likely to have freezing issues - like broken pipes.

If you work on prevention and keep an eye out for damages before they become severe, you’ll be better able to recover from damages if they do happen.

If you do experience damage, you can always count on your local SERVPRO® for the cleanup and restoration. We are always Here to Help®.

https://wolfcre.com/watch-for-winter-damage-in-commercial-properties/

Preparing Your Restaurant for a Health Inspection

10/20/2021 (Permalink)

One of the most important things to happen in a restaurant is a health inspection. These inspections are meant to make sure that your establishment is a safe environment for the patrons and the staff. While it is important to always make sure your facility is safe, there are a few things that you can do to help yourself pass an inspection before an inspection occurs.

Review Your HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) Plan

HACCP identifies the points in the cooking process where the risk of contamination is the greatest and can help you understand when to take action to prevent contamination.

Get Familiar with Common Code Violations

Keep an eye out for safety issues and violations like cross-contamination, personal hygiene, and internal temperature requirements. The sooner you can make new habits for you and your employees, the less likely you will get violations for these common codes.

Consult the Health Department

Ask questions and learn what you need to know before you are even required to do an inspection. Knowledge really is power.

Self-Inspect Your Facility and Quiz Employees

This will help to keep yourself and your employees on their toes. It will also help to really instill the values of constant cleanliness and good safety.

If you are really worried about the cleanliness of your facility, just remember that you can reach out to your local SERVPRO® for general deep cleaning of your building. We’ve done it before for other commercial properties, and we are sure we’ll do it again. It’s just one of the many ways that we do whatever we can to be Here to Help®.

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/16/health-inspection-checklist.html