reopening clubs.
“Having a communications strategy is so important,” said
Sanders. “What you don’t say can be equally as important as what
you do say.”
Put Facilities Second
Keeping an open line of communication is only one facet of
preparing for a natural disaster. Once teams have made sure a plan
is in place to keep members and employees safe, then they can
work to minimize the risk associated with the physical property.
“Focus on people first and your facilities second,” said Evans.
“Be smart, stay calm, and keep your priorities in line.”
Having a checklist for safeguarding a physical club can be
just as useful as a communications checklist. PF Houston suggests
incorporating the following items on your checklist: remove cash
from drawers and place in a safe; turn off fans, lights and any A/V
equipment; secure objects located outside of the building such as
trash cans so that they don’t become projectiles; and make sure to
post signs and lock the door.
PF Houston also has a lock box with keys that explains the
locking procedure – something that employees don’t get much
practice with since Planet Fitness is a 24/7 gym. The company uses
a similar checklist when reopening and notes that it is important to
make sure everything is done before reopening.
“Once, in a rush to reopen to the public, we reopened a ‘dirty’
club that missed its overnight janitorial cleaning several days earlier
due to a temporary storm closing,” explained Sanders. “We learned
a valuable lesson – delay a reopening until you can provide an
acceptable level of service and staffing.”
Sunshine Fitness Management also suggests moving computers
“Focus on people first and your
facilities second. Be smart, stay
calm, and keep your priorities in line.”
– Jon Evans
Planet Fitness franchisee
and monitors to an elevated, secure part of the gym; shutting
down any on-site servers; and placing alarms in test mode. It’s also
crucial to unplug all equipment, and if time allows, it may even be
beneficial to elevate treadmills.
“Board up your windows. If you are in a low-lying area, place
sandbags in front of doors or any openings,” advised Austin Failor,
construction manager for Sunshine Fitness Management. “If you
are aware of roof leaks, be sure to get them taken care of prior to
the storm. Double check your HVAC systems to ensure panels
are secure. If bike racks, trash cans or other objects outside are not
bolted, they could impede into the club. Lock up your dumpsters
to make sure the lids don’t fly open and let trash fly out.”
By taking these precautions just prior to closing the club,
operators can minimize the physical damage done to their clubs
and open earlier. Once the reopening procedure begins, Evans
suggests surveying damage through cameras as much as possible
before sending employees out to avoid unnecessary risks.
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