5 Important Steps You Should Take After a Fire at Your Business

11/8/2020 (Permalink)

What Steps To Follow After A Fire In Your Business

Fire can be one of the most destructive forces to your business in Kings Point, FL, as it can damage property, inventory, and equipment in a single event. Even with adequate fire insurance, the aftermath can financially devastate your business. However, knowing what steps to follow after a loss can help mitigate the impact.

1. Contact Your Insurance Company
You should notify your insurance carrier about the loss as soon as reasonably possible. Initiating the claims process helps you anticipate the fire restoration process and alert you to additional requirements, such as securing the property from additional damage or theft.

2. Reach Out to Key Employees
Alert managers or other key personnel about the loss right away. They can help notify customers and staff of the interruption to operations and initiate your contingency plan to keep business moving while you deal with the fire damage.

3. Document the Loss
Once local authorities have given you permission to enter the affected area, survey the extent of the damage and take photos for your own reference. Ideally, your fire insurance company already has information about what was there before the loss, but gathering your own evidence can help with any errors or disputes down the line.

4. Salvage What You Can
The good news is that most fires are not a total loss, so there may be items you can reuse that can get your business running again. Although your insurance carrier will financially indemnify you for the loss, make sure crucial items like computer servers, physical files, or necessary machinery are put back into circulation as soon as possible.

5. Hire a Restoration Company
Cleaning up after a fire is an involved process. Besides the fire debris, you’ll also need help from a company that provides cleanup and restoration services to deal with water damage and smoke cleanup, which are sometimes worse than the fire itself.
Experiencing a fire at your business location can be devastating, but working with your fire insurance carrier and doing your part afterward can help get operations up and running again.