Helping Residents Prepare Their Households for Disaster While Protecting Your Property
In the ‘new normal’ of a post-COVID-19 world, much has changed. Some apartment communities were better prepared for the pandemic than others and, as all of us look forward, many are considering how they can position themselves to be as prepared as possible for whatever might come next. Emergencies and disasters take many forms but they all have one thing in common -- when something goes wrong your residents will look to you for help and direction. Partnering with them to plan ahead for disasters is a win-win strategy. Whether it’s an active shooter situation, personal medical emergency, or large-scale natural disaster, you’re in a position to influence residents with information and resources – many of which are free to use!
This webinar by expert speaker Jo Becker, will provide examples of how to facilitate engagement, build a sense of community, and demonstrate your care – all while boosting tenant retention and enhancing community-wide safety. The proactive, collaborative steps you take can help protect your property and, literally, lives. Make no mistake about it -- every step your residents take makes their households more resilient; and helping them helps you, too! “But how,” you ask, “won’t residents just bury their heads in the sand?” Not if you do it right! Gently and strategically crafting messages aimed at those your residents love – their children, their elders, or their pets – can be much more galvanizing than other approaches.
Since the majority of American households have at least one animal – including 70% of renters – Jo will use them as a model to demonstrate this effective technique. Critter-specific resources, as well as general preparedness tips, will be included, along with free resources, literature, and presentation ideas designed to aid you in crafting a resident campaign without having to recreate the wheel!
Webinar Objectives
The current environment has demonstrated with overwhelming clarity what professional emergency managers have been preaching for years: Disasters – great and small, natural or manmade – can occur at any time. The current situation has also shown how very resilient, resourceful, and compassionate we are. As we begin to adjust to the ‘new normal’ and to set our collective sights on the horizon, this is a perfect opportunity to capture lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic; draft or update contingency operation plans; and proactively engage residents in a collaborative planning process so that all are better prepared for the future.
Webinar Agenda
- Emergencies vs. disasters and why worry about them?
- Crafting two messages for your residents
- How and why to focus your campaign on animals or others your residents care about
- Thoughts on prioritizing which disasters to plan for first
- A few notes about Residential fires
- Free resources you can use
Webinar Highlights
After attending this informative webinar, you will be able to…
- Demonstrate your concern by identifying and touting the steps you’re already taking to safeguard the property and your residents.
- Empower residents to plan ahead for potential emergencies and disasters of all kinds.
- Utilize readily available resources to create a custom preparedness campaign for your property without recreating the wheel.
- Reach out to local community partners for resident presentations.
- Offer low- and no-cost steps for residents to take, making this session relevant to all including subsidized, income-restricted, and / or retirement communities.
Who Should Attend
- Leasing managers
- On-site managers
- Portfolio managers
- Compliance officers
- Resident services coordinators (in affordable housing communities)
- Maintenance and service technicians
- Community concierges (in high-end housing communities)
- Independent landlords or small operators
