CAI-NJ Feb 2022

MANAGEMENT TRENDS

Keeping People and Property Safe in Your Community By Chuck Graziano, CPM, PCAM, Director of Management Services Wilkin Management Group, Inc.

A ccording to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as of October 8, 2021, there had been 18 weather/climate disaster events in the United States, year to date, where the loss exceeded $1 billion! Two things that most people agree on is that 1). The trend in recent years has shown an annual increase in the number and severity of these events, and 2). the cause is primarily due to climate change and the outlook is for this trend to continue. In addition to these events that are largely out of our con- trol, it is important to have a heightened awareness of how important it is to monitor structural integrity. These unsettling realities and trends deliver an important message to leaders of community associations: It has never been more important for communities to have in place a plan to manage risk and respond to emergency situations, which inevitably come along! Getting Started It is not always possible to eliminate a community’s exposure to events outside of its control, but managing risk is not always about eliminating it. According to the Institute for Real Estate Management (IREM), in its book, “Maintenance and Risk Management for the Real Estate Manager”, “While risk cannot be completely avoided or eliminated, it can be managed. Risk management reduces the likelihood of something occurring and the severity of its consequences.” Controlling and minimizing the impact of natural or manmade hazards requires four key elements: Identifying the existing or potential hazard, creating steps to keep people and property safe, transferring liability where possible and maintaining a practice of inspections to pro- actively monitor changes in conditions. Identifying Potential Areas of Danger Recognizing the factors that create an exposure to haz- ardous conditions is a starting point. Assess the community.

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“Controlling and minimizing the impact of natural or manmade hazards requires four key elements...”

Those communities located in an urban setting are likely to have different exposures than those in a rural area. The characteristics of the neighborhood should also be con- sidered as should the age of the community, density of its units, basic characteristic (high rise, townhome, homeown- ers’ association, etc.) and facilities that are included in the community. A list of areas of concern can be created from these factors. As example, a high-rise community should have in place a clear and concise set of procedures to circulate to residents regarding the issues specific to high- rise properties, such as instructions in the event of a fire, and what to do in the event of an elevator failure. Further, a resident profile should be maintained by management, which would include a list of residents with special needs in the event of an evacuation. Other types of communities would have their own set of risks to identify, such as snow and ice control, managing safe walking surfaces (e.g., mitigate against uneven sur- faces), danger from sick or dead trees, and proper use of

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