{"id":14545,"date":"2016-01-06T05:00:48","date_gmt":"2016-01-06T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=14545"},"modified":"2020-12-24T03:42:43","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T11:42:43","slug":"ice-storm-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/ice-storm-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice Storm 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the past several years, the southeastern United States has been slammed with ice storms in the first quarter. You can\u2019t stop the ice from forming, but there are several steps that you can take to keep your leasing office staff as safe as possible.\"iceStorms\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While weather forecasts are known to issue false alarms, ignoring a warning can lead to dangerous repercussions: impassable roads leave employees stranded at work and their kids stranded at school; fallen trees can cut power supplies. The weather warnings are not always accurate, but the cost of ignoring them may outweigh the benefits.<\/p>\n

Use these tips to guide your staff safely through ice storm season in the southeast.<\/p>\n

Ensure that snow and ice removal equipment is ready for action. <\/strong>Check that property management, vendors or maintenance staff have properly prepared for the season. This is especially important if the equipment needed is kept onsite and rarely used.<\/p>\n

Jack Drobny, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Troy-Bilt, offers maintenance tips for dormant machines. \u201cIf you try to start a snow thrower after it has sat for a while, it might not start,\u201d he says frankly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing that you\u2019ll want to do is remove the smart plug boot, ground it to the engine block, and clear away any external engine debris,\u201d he says. Drobny then suggests adjusting the skid shoes and shave plate, which are particularly important for breaking up ice.<\/p>\n

Once those items are secured, Drobny recommends inspecting the belts for signs of damage, checking the oil and adding fresh fuel as needed. \u201cBy taking care of those things early, you won\u2019t be left out in the cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep additional fuel, spare batteries, and chemical ice-melting products onsite when possible. Such supplies can make parking lots and sidewalks safer for you and your team.<\/p>\n

Create your early dismissal plan in advance<\/strong>. Don\u2019t wait until the height of an emergency to make decisions regarding the safety of your staff. Develop a safety plan in advance. Establishing pre-set parameters can help you take decisive action that will keep employees safe when you\u2019re tempted to prioritize productivity. Likewise, those parameters will keep the leasing office running smoothly when rumors of a \u201csnowpocalypse\u201d fill the air around the water cooler.<\/p>\n

Invest in generator maintenance.<\/strong> Without maintenance, your backup generator is simply a false sense of security. Failed generators<\/a> can leave multifamily properties and their residents in peril. If your office is equipped with a backup generator, ensure that it is functioning properly now, before the storm hits.<\/p>\n

Bob Birdsong, President of OK Generators recommends having your units professionally inspected. \u201cIf you have a legally required standby generator, NFPA110\u2014the Bible of generators\u2014it tells us, by law, that you must have a generator maintenance program in place. It even gives you a comprehensive checklist for your standby maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between inspections, at least three areas of the generator should be checked regularly, even weekly. Birdsong recommends generators without a \u201cmaintenance-free battery.\u201d Traditional batteries allow users to open the unit and check water levels so that there are no surprises. Users should also check the oil and make sure it is topped off. An often-overlooked area is the radiator water level.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the radiator level goes down, the generator won\u2019t be able to protect itself. It won\u2019t know that the water isn\u2019t there. In most cases, it will burn itself up,\u201d says Birdsong.<\/p>\n

Assemble emergency supplies<\/strong>. The brunt of ice storms rarely last for more than a few days in the southeast. End of Days preparation isn\u2019t required. It is a good idea, though, to equip the office with preparedness kits<\/a>. The office will need at least a supply of bottled water, a well-stocked and accessible first-aid kit, and a few snacks on hand with a lengthy shelf life in case an overnight stay is needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the past several years, the southeastern United States has been slammed with ice storms in the first quarter. You can\u2019t stop the ice from forming, but there are several steps that you can take to keep your leasing office staff as safe as possible. While weather forecasts are known to issue false alarms, ignoring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":440,"featured_media":14546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_s2mail":"yes","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[289,709,760,29,134,1372,1371],"class_list":["post-14545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-apartments","tag-ice-storm","tag-maintenance","tag-multifamily","tag-real-estate","tag-southeastern-us","tag-winter-weather"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYardi Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For the past several years, the southeastern United States has been slammed with ice storms in the first quarter. 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