SERVPRO signs on as national sponsor for Red Cross Ready Rating Program

SERVPRO, a disaster recovery and cleanup franchise system, has signed on as a national sponsor of the American Red Cross Ready Rating Program, a free, web-based program designed to help businesses, organizations and schools become better prepared for emergencies, according to Ray Hopkins, owner of SERVPRO of Sussex County in Georgetown.

"This partnership just makes perfect sense," said Hopkins, "and truly completes the readiness equation for businesses and other property owners in the Georgetown area. The Red Cross Ready Rating Program allows individuals to assess their readiness for a disaster, so they can take all necessary steps before disaster strikes to protect their property from damage and loss.

But, when disaster does strike, knowing what to do and who to call saves time, and fast response is key to minimizing damage and downtime. That's where SERVPRO's Emergency Ready Program can help.Together, these two programs offer maximum peace of mind to businesses and other organizations."

"Through the generosity of SERVPRO, the Red Cross will help empower workplaces to reopen more quickly after natural or man-made disasters such as water main breaks, medical emergencies, power outages, tornadoes, floods and hurricanes through the Ready Rating Program," said Tom Heneghan, manager of Business Continuity Programs for Red Cross.

With the spring season comes the threat of severe weather such as high winds, downpours, flash flooding, fires caused by lightning strikes and even tornadoes spawned by thunderstorms. SERVPRO urges all Georgetown property owners to visit the Red Cross Ready Rating website at http://readyrating.org to complete a 123-point self-assessment of their level of preparedness for weather-related or other emergencies. Aligned with the federal government's Private Sector Preparedness standards, the Ready Rating assessment offers businesses, organizations and schools access to tools, tips and best practices to help improve their level of preparedness.

"The time to prepare for a disaster is before it happens," said Hopkins. "Taking steps to make your property as secure as possible, then having a plan to deal with the aftermath if disaster does strike is just good business and common sense. At SERVPRO of Sussex County, we can help you create a disaster recovery plan now, specific to your facility, so that if you need us we can help you get back in business fast."

Georgetown-area residents are encouraged to contact Ray Hopkins of SERVPRO of Sussex County at 302-856-9768 or email office@servpro5930.com or go to www.SERVPRO.com for information on readiness resources including SERVPRO's free Ready Plan Mobile Application, available on all smartphones. For more information about the app, visit www.servpro.com/ready.

For more information on the Red Cross Ready Rating program, go to readyrating.org.