WEB EXCLUSIVE: Tips For Those Affected By Midwest Flooding

This Web Exclusive comes from Bill Begal, 2007 Phoenix Award winner for innovation in restoration and president of Begal Enterprises, Inc. This collection of "best practices" is based on Begal's experiences with past clients. So while it may seem like common sense, it could help businesses or individuals who have never faced such a massive loss.

Begal adds, "The purpose [of these tips] is to assist any friends, family members, or associates that may have flood damage and are not sure of what to do, where to turn, or even where to begin."

• Get a notebook and keep track of any and all dates, times, and persons that you talk to in regards to your claim.
• Get a copy of your insurance policy. This will define and determine your limits as well as your rights and responsibilities to and from your insurance company.
• Speak/sit down with your adjuster.
• Define who is taking responsibility for your loss.
• What are your responsibilities and duties to comply as well as make a smooth and seamless process?
• Ask what is the process for listing and valuating your T/L (total loss) personal property. Do not throw ANYTHING away; everything has value.
• Follow up EVERY meeting and conversation with an e-mail to memorialize and capture what was discussed and might have been agreed to. This will eliminate confusion and misunderstandings later on.
• Define and get an explanation of what is necessary to be reimbursed for any lost rent or interruption of business.
• Ask your adjuster for a sufficient advance for purchases that are necessary. Include enough money to assist with your first month and security deposit for a temporary dwelling.
• Save ALL receipts for any and all meals, hotels, purchases, toiletries, vitamins, cosmetics etc.
• Wear personal protective equipment if you are entering a disaster zone: gloves, hard hat, approved respirator, Tyvek suit, etc.
• Refer to the EPA Web site to answer questions on mold and how to clean or disinfect properly.
• NEVER EVER open a refrigerator or freezer that has been off for more than a week to 10 days. The smell will knock you over.
• DO NOT TAKE ANY FOOD, PRESCRIPTIONS, or COSMETICS FROM THE BUILDING that have gotten wet or been exposed to an unusual amount of moisture or heat.
• ALWAYS remember that it is your decision, NOT the adjusters, as to which service provider can assist you.
• NO ONE can demand or force you to use a particular company at any time for any reason.
• Check references for any and all companies that you retain to perform work on your behalf.

Begal, who is based in Rockville, MD, regularly assists those who are dealing with the aftermath of a disaster, and acknowledges, "The recovery process can be overwhelming when all you have appears to be damaged or ruined." His company is currently preparing to mobilize labor and equipment with in the next week, as national clients have requested assistance in different areas in Iowa and Missouri. He can be contacted directly toll-free at 888-BEGAL44.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Wayfinding Strategies For Emergency Evacuations

Today's WEB EXCLUSIVE was submitted by Paul Moor, commercial manager, Evactools Limited.


Good evacuation maps save lives. Ineffective evacuation signage can confuse users and can be fatal during emergencies.

Some of the most common reasons for confusing evacuation maps include:
• Use of single orientation for all maps, irrespective of the maps location;
• Use of CAD floor plans as maps;
• No external reference; or
• Lack of reference to the readers position.

One key problem with existing map design is the use of a single reading orientation for all maps in all locations. The orientation is typically "north-up." which at least gives some orientation. However, the results are that when traveling south, the next exit on the left in reality is on the right.

Further complications arise when, in an attempt to make the evacuation map more relevant to the user, copies of the building's two-dimensional CAD floor plans are used. These often fail to be oriented to the basic "north-up" level, compounding confusion and resulting in false information being presented to the reader.

The aim of any evacuation map is to aid the safe egress from a building to an area of safe shelter. Correctly oriented, user-centered evacuation maps remove many of the barriers to effective wayfinding and aid successful evacuations.

How can Evacuation Maps be Improved?
To compare any map to the real world, the map has to be mentally noted and rotated to fit the building space as it is presented to the user. This can be difficult and time consuming, especially for children, the elderly, and for those with cognitive impairments. For these groups, this task is virtually impossible. Every second that occupants are delayed increases the risk that they lose their lives.

Effective evacuation or emergency wayfinding is accomplished by providing easy to interpret, informative signage at key decision points from the user’s location to a place of safety. As buildings become more complex, the need to introduce efficient wayfinding solutions that aid navigation increases.

During emergencies, effective navigation to a place of safety is vitally important. The lack of detailed knowledge of these complex environments or being in unfamiliar surroundings hinders a safe and effective evacuation.

Such complex environments result in the occupants becoming unaware of the most suitable means of escape, often opting to make use of the most familiar exits (such as building entrances), and ignoring closer or more appropriate emergency exits. The provision of effective evacuation maps in complex environments is essential for aiding emergency wayfinding and reducing the amount of time required to evacuate.

Evacuation maps should provide clear, concise information that the occupant may not have previously been aware of, providing options, suggestions, and the opportunity to decide on the best possible route for evacuation.

Existing wayfinding aids in the built environment may be difficult to access. For those who read in a different language, text based instructions are barriers. If the information is not provided in formats accessible to a wide range of abilities, its effectiveness is compromised. The provision of inaccessible signage during an emergency is a significant and foreseeable risk to the safety of the occupants of that building.

In an attempt to overcome these barriers, maps can be provided as an aid to wayfinding. While a significant improvement on the text based approach, many people have problems interpreting two dimensional maps which require mental translation and relation to a three dimensional space.

Three dimensional, egocentric (the tendency to perceive, understand, and interpret the world in terms of self) or "bird's-eye’"overview allows the user to view the building from various vantage points. These aid the interpretation of the map, allowing people to locate emergency equipment and exits in direct relation to their location and direction of travel. This 3D overview provides a more dynamic image that facilitates faster, easier to recognize, and more intelligibly perceptible and useful information than the standard "flat" two dimensional floor plan.

Complication Through Symmetry
Symmetrically designed buildings, while seemingly simplistic, can prove confusing during evacuations unless specific visual references are made to their internal and external orientation. These environments benefit from the designation of exit zones, color coded exits, and evacuation maps that clearly mark paths to the closest and alternate emergency exits.

Evacuation maps should be placed in relation to the path of travel. It is important to ensure that the maps are placed at regular intervals rather than relying on one centrally accessible map. This is especially important in large or complex buildings.

With an ever varying risk profile, the assumption that all emergency exits are available is one that introduces significant risk to the safe evacuation of building occupants. With the increasing number of non fire related incidents necessitating the closure of one or more emergency exits, the need to navigate from a closed exit to the next closest safe exit needs careful consideration and planning. Failing to provide adequate guidance at these exit points compromises the safety of occupants unfamiliar with the floor layout and location of alternative exits.

The reliability of evacuation information is critical to the safe evacuation of the building's occupants. Information should be legible and accurate. Changes to the building's infrastructure or internal layout should be reflected in the relevant evacuation maps at the time of the change. Failure to maintain the maps in line with building changes introduces foreseeable risk.

All public information becomes a part of the occupant’s information on how to use and navigate the environment. The representation of this public information needs to be consistent to be clear. Evacuation maps must agree with facility maps and current floor plans. With occupants attending meetings in other buildings or floors, this consistency aids the quick identification of evacuation instructions and facilitates effective evacuations in potentially unfamiliar environments.

Recommendations
• The simpler the map, the more accessible it becomes;
• Correct use of "You are here" markers significantly improves recognition of the user's location and best route to safety;
• Evacuation maps should be placed in common areas to aid occupant’s familiarity;
• Additional evacuation signs should be placed at each emergency exit to aid navigation to alternate exits;
• Evacuation maps should be oriented to ensure decisions on quickest route to safety are correct;
• Identify the building, floor, and/or room number on the evacuation map;
• Ensure that information on the map is reliable and regularly maintained;
• Map placement should be at a level that is accessible by wheelchair users;
• Consider including a map of the assembly areas as an addition to the evacuation map.

Contact the author by sending an e-mail to paul@evactools.com.

Real Estate Issues Raised on Capitol Hill

The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM® ) and the CCIM Institute recently joined forces to raise awareness on Capitol Hill of key issues affecting the commercial real estate industry. Approximately 275 IREM and CCIM Institute members representing 40 states and the District of Columbia held 220 meetings with their respective senators, representatives, and their staffs to voice the industry’s concerns about these critical topics: Energy Tax Credits; Climate Change/Energy; Natural Disaster Insurance; Leasehold Improvements; and Capital Gains/Depreciation Recapture.

Energy Tax Credits
IREM and CCIM Institute believe that incentives for energy efficiency investments are the best way to promote conservation. While many legislative proposals threaten to require mandates for green buildings and “zero-net” energy, the two organizations support positive incentives as the best way to achieve the goal.

IREM and CCIM Institute support H.R. 5351, the “Renewable Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008.” This legislation will extend tax incentives for energy efficiency in commercial buildings and allow a five-year recovery period for the depreciation of qualified energy management devices.

Climate Change/Energy
Today, commercial buildings make up 73 billion square feet of real estate in this country. IREM and CCIM Institute believe that lawmakers need to understand the benefits of market based incentives to retrofit existing buildings for energy efficiency and the serious consequences to mandating the same.

Natural Disaster Insurance
The intensity of large natural disasters in recent years has made the acquisition of adequate property insurance very difficult in some areas. Insurers are declining to write policies, canceling existing policies, or increasing premiums on existing policies. Recently, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have refocused attention on this issue. The viability of the insurance market is critical to real estate financing. IREM and CCIM Institute believe that both commercial and multifamily properties should be covered, in addition to homeowner’s insurance.

IREM and CCIM Institute Members lobbied their legislators to amend the “Homeowners Defense Act” (H.R. 3355 and S.2310) to include protection for commercial and multifamily properties.

Leasehold Improvements
IREM and CCIM Institute believe that it would be unrealistic to revert to the prior recovery period of 39 years depreciable life for tenant improvements. In their view, a realistic cost recovery period, such as 10-15 years, is a reasonable incentive to keep downtown office, commercial and retail space modern, efficient, and competitive with suburban space. In addition, such a change would more closely mirror corresponding lease terms for these properties.

IREM and CCIM Institute support the “Leasehold Improvement Depreciation Act of 2007” (H.R. 2014/ S. 1361), which would make the 15-year recovery period for leasehold improvements permanent.

Capital Gains/Depreciation Recapture
Under current law, capital gains are taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. This rate is temporary and will revert to 20% as of January 1, 2011. When capital gains tax rates were reduced to 15% from 20% in 2003, the depreciation recapture rate remained at 25%. Before 1997, depreciation recapture amounts were taxed at the same rate as capital gains.

IREM and CCIM Institute support a level playing field for those who choose to invest in real estate and thus oppose rates for depreciation recapture that are higher than the capital gains rate.