DKI Preps for Hurricane Season

Disaster Kleenup International Inc. (DKI), a network of quality, independent property damage restoration contractors, has been actively preparing for what some forecasters say will be a hurricane season very similar to the devastating season last year.

For the many victims who are still rebuilding after last year’s hurricanes, the official start of the 2005 season – June 1 – was approaching entirely too quickly and leaving them with much uncertainty.

DKI wants property owners in the path of these potential storms to know that there is a way to have peace of mind. When Hurricane Charley, the most destructive storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, landed in southwestern Florida and cut a path of devastation across the state, DKI swung into immediate action.

Within hours, three local DKI companies closest to the storm’s impact were on the scene removing debris, pumping out water, drying out buildings, and mitigating damage at dozens of structures. Within days, DKI had more than 25 companies join them, bringing more than 20,000 pieces of portable restoration and drying equipment moved by a fleet of more than 100 vehicles, with more than 400 people on the ground in multiple affected areas. These resources initially focused on helping the local companies that had pre-disaster plans in place with DKI, but where possible, also aided property owners who had not planned ahead.

DKI member company Bay Area Disaster Kleenup, located in Oldsmar, Fla., did just that for the 108 year old historic Belleview Biltmore hotel in the wake of Hurricane Jeanne. The Biltmore, consisting of more than 800,000 square feet of historic buildings with more than 1,200 windows, suffered extensive water damage.

Bay Area was able to keep the business going and work around the occupants of the hotel during the massive project. The Biltmore executive vice president said, “I am absolutely certain that the efforts of Bay Area saved us significant costs which could have occurred if the moisture problem had not been aggressively addressed.”

If you are a property owner, whether residential or commercial, it is vitally important to establish a pre-disaster plan to ensure that in the event of a hurricane, you will receive emergency response within 24 hours. To address this need, DKI offers the Code Red Preferred Emergency Response program for property owners throughout the regions most likely to be affected by storms. Code Red is a loss management solution for the marketplace.

For those looking for information on current storms, and more importantly, on what to do about them, DKI has created an informational Web site to assist homeowners, commercial property managers and owners, and government officials in preparing for and responding to catastrophes. It can be found at www.hurricanecatastrophe.com.

In addition to the information on the Web site, DKI also has a 24-hour call center at 888-735-0800 available to assist those property owners requiring emergency services and property reconstruction after a storm hits. Its national catastrophe response unit maintains an inventory of emergency services equipment and a large labor pool in the U.S. which supports its 125 locations across the country.

For those seeking to prepare before a storm, which is highly recommended, call DKI at 888-735-0800 and ask how the Code Red program can assist in developing a pre-disaster plan.