Businesses need to prepare for emergencies

Get ready and stay ready, Nevada: Are you prepared for an emergency? Last week I discussed having a family plan, so this week I will cover how to prepare a business for an emergency.

Business preparation is similar to that for your family. How quickly your company can bounce back from a disaster depends on emergency planning done in advance. This should include make an emergency plan; work with employees to preplan for disasters; create emergency procedures and practice for all types of emergencies; and build a supply kit.

Employees should have a portable supply kit that includes the basics of survival, but is also customized to their needs. The business owner should have copies of important records, including building plans, insurance policies, computer backups, bank account records and a current employee contact list.

Develop a shelter-in-place plan. Determine if an emergency requires people to stay inside and take shelter, or to evacuate quickly. Make a plan for both.

Review insurance coverage to avoid major financial losses. Prepare for utility disruptions. Plan ahead, and identify alternatives or backup options such as portable generators.

Secure your building or facility. Plan ahead to protect your physical assets. Install fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and detectors. Put locks on all points of entry and exit, and secure valuable equipment. Maintain your heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system, and consider an upgrade to your air filtration system.

April 20. Fight: Officers on routine patrol locate a huge number of juveniles practicing the spectator sport of street boxing at 2:11 p.m. in the 1100 block of Fifth Street.

Private property accident: The caller states a microburst happened near his home and a heavy road repair sign became airborne and chose his vehicles as a landing zone at 4:42 p.m. in the 800 block of San Remo Way.

Thought for the day: The winds this year have been unreal.

April 21. Family disturbance: Communal living is sometimes very enlightening into your neighbors’ domestic bliss at 4:43 a.m. in the 800 block of Utah Street.

Suspicious: The neighbors report a man camping in a vehicle fronting the apartments at 7:50 a.m.

Thought for the day: Sometimes the best way to make sure the house stays clean for upcoming visitors is to avoid contact with the areas that will be on show.

April 22. Disturbance: The caller states that basketball is best saved for daylight hours at 12:59 a.m. in the 1400 block of Marita Drive.

Wanted: Despite the one lane each direction pandemonium a neighboring jurisdiction braves the chaos at 9:46 a.m. in the area of Hillside Drive and Nevada Way.

Thought for the day: It’s almost a “Christmas miracle” as the smug look over the obvious mistake turns into concern by Miranda rights in the air.

April 23. Disturbance: The verbal negotiations are concluded with the arrival of the blue lights at 2:11 a.m. in the 500 block of Avenue B.

Accident: The truck and the power pole are both inoperable after meeting by accident at 3:30 a.m. in the area of Fir Street and Nevada Way.

Thought for the day: It’s never a good feeling when that alarm doesn’t go off in the morning because of an extended power outage.

April 24. Abandoned vehicle: The vehicle in the ditch turns into the sedan stuck in the mud at 11:37 a.m. in the area of Georgia Avenue and Riviera Street.

See person: The caller feels threatened by a subject that happens to be near more often than comfortable at 12:37 a.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.

Thought for the day: The mentally ill “patrol” person states she and the FBI have bigger criminals to bust over on Boulder Highway and she is now heading there where they appreciate her efforts.

April 25. Animals: The officer assists eight ducks in crossing the highway at 9:42 a.m. in the 800 block of Buchanan Boulevard.

Disturbance: Callers report a man causing a disturbance in the parking lot at 9:42 a.m. in the 800 block of Buchanan Boulevard.

Thought for the day: The confused man cannot understand why his self-discipline would bother anyone; however, he agrees to stop yelling at himself.

April 26. Suspicious odor: Fire personnel get a few chances to attempt to locate the cause of the smell of smoke in the building at 3:36 a.m. in the 1000 block of Arizona Street.

Suspicious: The caller believes someone is storing a trailer and living in it at 6:25 p.m. in the 700 block of Canyon Road.

Thought for the day: Every now and then it’s good to be reminded just how deafening those fire alarms can be (not)!

Call of the week: The 911 caller wants to report a vehicle stolen. It seems the caller parked the rental car near a local establishment and after returning to the parking lot, finds the vehicle missing. The officer locates a similar vehicle on the other side of the parking lot but the visitor sticks to their story and determines that, although the vehicle is now located somewhere different, someone had to have come from Las Vegas where they rented the car, moved it and left causing no damage and with nothing missing for some unknown reason at 1 p.m. April 20 in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.

Tina Ransom is a dispatcher with Boulder City Police Department. She is coordinator of the Boulder City Citizen’s Academy.