What to do first? PRSM’s new damage survey tool helps retail FMs assess the status of their stores and prioritize recovery efforts after a natural disaster

by Brianna Crandall — January 19, 2018 — The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM), the authority on retail, multi-site facilities management, has released the “Natural Disaster — Initial Property Damage Survey”, a customizable template designed to help retail facilities managers (FMs) assess the status of stores following a natural disaster.

Natural disaster template

The customizable template is designed to help retail FMs assess the status of stores following a natural disaster.

The form can be used to determine the severity of damage and to prioritize recovery team efforts should multiple locations be impacted by a hurricane, earthquake, flood or fire. The form includes preliminary questions about building accessibility and damage, and equipment. It also includes a place to record supplier company estimated time of arrival, and much more. The form can also be customized, and allows FMs to add or delete items on the checklist.

Bill Yanek, PRSM CEO, stated:

So many natural disasters have occurred in the last few months, and we wanted to help our members be better prepared in the future. This form will make it easy for FMs to thoroughly evaluate damage to their facilities and recover quicker.

Recent major storms caused significant damage to retail stores, some of which are still assessing damage or recovering, notes PRSM. It is estimated Hurricane Harvey caused around $1 billion in damage to retail stores across Texas and Louisiana, and Hurricane Irma caused nearly $2.8 billion to retail stores in Florida, Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Bahamas.

PRSM’s “Natural Disaster — Initial Property Damage Survey” template can be found on the second tab of the file located under “Checklists & Manuals” on the PRSM Web site.