A large enough storm or hurricane can easily knock South Florida businesses off the power grid. Luckily, there are a few simple things you can do today that’ll help protect your business in a power outage.
Power outages happen all of the time. In fact, there are 6 times the number of power outages today than there were 15 years ago. Just one hour without power can have devastating impacts on your productivity and bottom line.
5 Ways You Can Plan Ahead And Remain Prepared In A Power Outage
#1. Pre Order A Generator
If you’ve ever tried to order a generator in an emergency or wide scale power outage, you know that it’s nearly impossible to get one unless you are one of the very first people to call. Every single business and residence in town wants a generator when the power goes out, and that means these things go fast. As demand goes up, supply goes down and costs go way up. You might be surprised to uncover just how much the surcharge is for renting a generator at the last minute during an emergency.
Prior to our annual hurricane season in Florida, we offer the option to pre order a generator. We ask you a few simple questions to determine the size generator you need and then we set aside that exact generator for you in an emergency. Preorder fees start at $1,000 and go up based upon the size generator you require.
By reserving ahead of time you are guaranteed a generator at a time when few others can find one. Plus, you never pay the surcharge fee. That means you save money while ensuring you have a generator no matter what emergency blows our way this hurricane season.
#2. Have Backup Generators In Place
As long as they are fueled up and ready to go, a backup generator will automatically turn on when the regular power system fails. This ensures that your power never turns off, not even for a minute. We offer the option to buy or rent generators.
#3. Have Everything Backed Up On The Cloud
All of the data running through your devices is at risk of disappearing in a power outage. If all of your information is automatically synched with a cloud server of some type, you can ensure that everything is backed up even if data is lost due to structural damages.
Not to mention, storing everything on the cloud allows team members to access files and data on their 4g enabled devices using Office 365 or Google Apps.
#4. Add Uninterruptible Power Supplies
An electrician can install what’s called uninterruptible power supplies. This is just a backup battery of sorts that allows your devices to continue operating for up to one hour after the power shuts down. It is recommended that you do not plug your devices directly into a wall because there is serious risk of surge when power is restored.
#5. Identify Important Areas Of Concern In Your Power Outage Plan
Create a detailed power outage plan so that nothing catches you off guard. Your plan should be shared company-wide and include things like:
-Pinpoint all major utilities, such as gas, water, electrical and sewer systems that might be impacted in a power outage.
-Pinpoint systems that will be impacted by a power outage such as the alarm, elevators, heating and ventilation, or security systems.
-Pinpoint any operational equipment that might be impacted by a power outage, such as voice and data communication systems, servers and subsequent cooling systems, computer networks, and so forth.
Addressing all areas of possible concern ahead of time ensures that you have a plan in place no matter what happens. Safety should always be your first priority. Once everyone’s safety is accounted for, the following things are important:
-Communication amongst team members is crucial in an emergency. There should be some form of communication channel open in an emergency in order to ensure everyone can stay in contact.
-Pick a hierarchy of personnel in charge during an emergency situation. Decide which people will take charge during an emergency and be active in assisting recovery.
-Have alternate vendors lined up in order to meet supply needs.
-Make sure that your servers are safe in a power outage by installing backup generators that automatically turn on in an outage.
Don’t Let A Power Outage Catch You Off Guard!
Don’t let a power outage catch you off guard! Contact us today to reserve a generator for your business before it’s too late! We are accepting reservations for 2017 Hurricane Season until Memorial Day.