Fire! Now What?

I'm spending the week working in Scottsdale and during some downtime strolled along the Kierland Commons shopping plaza. I arrived just in time to see NoRTH restaurant, part of the Fox Restaurant Concepts, ablaze from a grease fire. As flames shot from the roof, I could see emergency teams storming the property to do their best to minimize the disaster. However, from the corner of my eye, I could also see the manager, hand over mouth in awe and I could only imagine what she may have been thinking.

I'm sure, along with a myriad of things, one was "What now?"

After seeing this and living through a fire of my own, I've compiled a short list of tips. Below are some helpful tips to help prepare for and work through a loss.

• Make sure all of your important documents are in a fire proof safe, or better yet, in a safety deposit box off-site. Important documents are obviously copies of your insurance policy(ies), lease and liquor license. But also consider copies of all of your computer and program passwords, vendor and employee phone numbers, important financial files (easily saved and stored on a flash drive) and major equipment purchase receipts.
• Review and know your insurance policy. Check for limits on equipment and fixtures (i.e. it will only cover up to $1000 for a $5000 piece of equipment), if it includes income loss, policy overages coverage (i.e. insurance on your basic plan), salaries and benefits while you are not making money, coverage on on-site personal property for you and your employees. Check on what the differences in reimbursement are for FF&E and the structure itself. Also ask your agent what the typical response is to fire damage, do they attempt to restore as much as possible to save themselves money or do they have a high replacement average.
• Find people to work for you or check the insurance company's workers' references. Your insurance company has recommended companies who they hire for their claimants. These companies work for the insurance company and not you. It is the insurance company's job to give you the least amount possible for your loss and this includes spending on the companies to work on your restoration. You do not have to use these companies and also do not have to be rushed to find your own. Take your time and do your homework on restoration companies that will work best for you.
• Consider hiring a public adjuster. It is similar to hiring your own lawyer in a lawsuit or appraiser in a real estate deal. Until we lost our house, I had never heard of this service before. A public adjuster will handle your claim and work directly with your insurance company on your behalf. This individual will complete your loss sheets on your FF&E as well as your structure loss estimates and will negotiate with the insurance company to ensure you receive the very best settlement. He or she will also work to assemble your construction crew and stay on the job to ensure that your establishment goes back to exactly what it was or better. However, the biggest value a PA offers is guidance. This is likely your first fire, it is not his and he will know exactly what to do.
• Don't be a hero! You and your staff should regularly be trained on fire safety which should also include when an onsite fire extinguisher will do and when to just get out. Your restaurant may be your life, but it's not worth your life.

The above are just some tips to make a horrible situation a little bit more manageable. There is no way to make it easy, but you can save the experience from being devastating.