Disaster security planning checklist

This checklist is for property managers, building owners, and business owners who want the security side of a flood, storm, fire, or long power outage handled well, before it happens or right after.

Start with the quick quote below. A few short questions, about 90 seconds, and you have a clean disaster security brief to send to us or print for your team. We use it to plan coverage around your property and your timeline. In an emergency, call 911 first.

The full planning checklist follows, grouped in the order things unfold: before an event, immediately after, restoring access, working with contractors and adjusters, and deciding when to call for coverage. It is general information, not legal or insurance advice; your insurer and local officials make the final call on your situation. It prints cleanly with your browser’s Print command (Ctrl+P, or Cmd+P on a Mac).

Quick quote

Get a quote in about 90 seconds

Full planning checklist (optional)

Before an event: contacts and plans

Ready.gov’s business emergency planning guidance covers continuity and response plans in more depth. These are the items that matter most for security afterward.

Insurance agent and carrier claims line, and where the policy is kept
Restoration contractor, board-up service, locksmith, and fencing company you would call
Utility contacts for power, gas, and water, and the location of shutoffs
Alarm and camera monitoring company, and how long systems run on backup power
Your city or county emergency management office, and how to sign up for local alerts (USA.gov lists state emergency management agencies)
A security provider you would call, and the information they will ask for
Photos or video of the property and its contents, stored off site (Ready.gov covers documenting and insuring property in its planning guidance)
Copies of leases, floor plans, key lists, and tenant or employee contacts, stored off site
Who on your side makes decisions after an event, and a backup

Immediately after

For anyone hurt, trapped, or in danger, call 911. Nobody, including security staff, should enter a damaged building until authorities say it is safe.

Everyone accounted for: employees, tenants, residents, and visitors
Wait for the all clear from officials before entering (see the National Weather Service on returning after a flood and Ready.gov on recovering from disaster)
Do not enter if you smell gas, if floodwaters remain around the building, or if authorities have not declared it safe
After a fire, confirm with the fire department that it is safe to enter, and do not reconnect utilities yourself (Ready.gov: Home Fires)
Insurance agent contacted and claim started
Damage photographed and listed before cleanup, and damaged items kept until they are inventoried
Receipts saved for boarding, cleanup, repairs, and security
Tenants, employees, or family told who the point of contact is and when they may return

Securing the site and restoring access

Every opening listed: doors, windows, roof, overhead doors, fencing, gates
Openings boarded, locked, fenced, or watched until they are repaired
Status of alarms, cameras, access readers, and lighting, and which are down
One entrance chosen for everyone, where it is safe to use
A written access list of who may enter, and during what hours
A visitor log of who came, when, which company, and when they left
Keys, lockbox codes, and temporary credentials tracked, and changed when work is done
Temporary lighting and "authorized personnel only" signs in place
Escorts arranged for occupants returning to collect belongings
Generators and fuel kept outdoors and away from windows and doors (Ready.gov: Power Outages)

Coordinating with contractors and adjusters

One point of contact who approves access and answers questions
Access list shared with each contractor and with security
Expected schedule for crews, inspections, and adjuster visits
Equipment the contractor will leave on site overnight, and who is responsible for it
What your insurer expects you to do to protect the property from further damage, and whether it will consider security, boarding, or fencing costs
Visitor log and security invoices kept with the claim paperwork

When to call for security coverage

Any one of these is a strong reason to bring in professional security coverage.

The building cannot be locked or fully boarded, even temporarily
Alarms, cameras, or lighting are down and will be for a while
Inventory, equipment, records, or personal property must stay on site
Several contractors, adjusters, and occupants are coming and going
The property is vacant and nobody nearby can check on it
Damage in the area is widespread and many properties are empty
Your insurer, lender, or landlord asks for coverage
The local fire authority requires a fire watch while fire protection systems are impaired (confirm with them whether a patrol meets the requirement)
A strike, protest, or unrest nearby may affect the property (see security during labor disputes and civil unrest)

What to have ready when you call

The address and what happened
Whether emergency responders have released the site
What is damaged or open: doors, windows, fencing, alarms, power
What is on site: equipment, inventory, records, or personal belongings
Who needs access: contractors, adjusters, tenants, or family
The hours of coverage you have in mind and how long you expect to need it
Contacts for the property manager, insurer, and restoration contractor

When coverage can step down

Doors and openings lock or are securely boarded and fenced
Alarms and cameras are working and monitored
Valuables and sensitive records are removed or secured
Contractors and occupants are back on a regular schedule

After you fill it in

Keep a copy with your emergency plans and review it once a year or when the property changes. For more detail on each stage, read securing a property after a flood, storm, or fire. Our disaster and emergency security page explains how we cover properties and families after an event, locally, nationally, and internationally.