Over the past week, communities across the country have been affected by extreme weather conditions, and hundreds of thousands remain without power at the time of this article’s writing. Power outages present unique security challenges. Built-in safety systems can be rendered inoperable, and additional security or fire watch personnel may be needed on-site to compensate.
Depending on the location of your facility, it might be difficult to source reliable security and fire watch guards on short notice in the event of a power outage. We are encouraging everyone in our network to take proactive steps to ensure the safety of personnel and property. It’s important to know what to expect when a power outage occurs, and to connect with a trustworthy security partner in advance.
Additional Security to Cover Power Outages
Mounted cameras and other built-in security systems can be taken for granted. When a power outage occurs, your critical assets – and the safety of team members – may be threatened. To prevent loss, harm, and liability, the best option is to deploy additional security guards on-site. This will ensure that trained sets of eyes are keeping watch over your facility so repairs can proceed.
Unarmed security guards are a proven deterrent: opportunistic thieves are unlikely to risk a confrontation with trained security personnel. During periods of heightened security risk, armed guards are often deployed to provide additional peace of mind to facility operators. If an incident occurs while security personnel are deployed, guards will supply comprehensive reports to the authorities. This prevents facility operators from assuming unnecessary liabilities and ensures incidents are resolved as quickly as possible.
Hire Fire Watch During Power Outages
If your building’s built-in fire safety system is inoperable for four hours or more during a 24-hour period, fire marshals can order an evacuation. You may need to shut down operations for extended periods, and complex liabilities could also ensue. Obviously, this is not something you want to be dealing with at the best of times, let alone during periods of extreme weather.
Fire codes vary somewhat across the country, but fire watch guards are paramount in all regions. The law requires trained fire watch personnel to be deployed in facilities that have suffered power outages or have inoperable fire safety equipment. It’s important to note that existing staff cannot be assigned to this role – dedicated, trained fire watch guards will be needed to observe and report on fire risks.
Given the four-hour window specified by fire codes, it can be difficult for facility operators to source reliable fire watch guards in time to prevent shutdowns. This is especially true during periods of high demand, and for facilities in rural or remote communities. The best way to prevent costly shutdowns is to partner with a reliable fire watch security guard company in your region before emergencies occur. That way, you can have trained fire watch professionals on-site quickly in the event of an emergency.
Contact The Guard Alliance Inc.
Our team has been responding to requests for additional security and fire watch personnel since the inclement weather began. We have been proud to assist clients in the affected regions of the country, and have mobilized the resources needed to keep America’s residential, commercial, and industrial facilities safe and operational.
If your region is suffering power outages or expects to in the near future, consider connecting with The Guard Alliance to review your options and to ensure speedy deployment when guards are needed. If your building is currently without power, contact us immediately.
