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Protecting Your Buildings During Temporary Closure

Given the current situation involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of camp operations have been paused, leaving the buildings unoccupied for an extended period of time. Unoccupied buildings can have significant exposures to losses. Below are some steps you can take to help reduce these exposures.

1. Verify your State’s requirement for Stay at Home / Safer at Home Orders and follow the social distancing guidelines. To the extent permitted by such orders, visit all buildings regularly.

2. Drive around premises first and if there are any suspicious activities such as unknown people around, broken windows, open doors, signs of vandalism, etc., call the police immediately.

3. If there are no suspicious activities noted, check all exterior doors and windows to verify they are locked and secured.

4. Maintain landscaping to make premises appear occupied and remove dead vegetation and branches which could become an ignition source.

5. When inside the building inspect all rooms for water damage. Inspect plumbing (water piping that supplies water to the water heater and to all fixtures within a building). If possible, turn off the water supply lines to individual fixtures such as sinks and toilets. Consider having your maintenance staff or a licensed plumber install an electronic leak detection system or sensors to alert you of water leaks.

6. If any of the buildings have fire and/or security alarms, verify they are activated and working. If monitored by an outside vendor, let them know the details of the temporary closure.

7. Verify heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are properly working.

   • In colder climates, adjust the temperature to a minimum of 55 degrees.

   • In warmer climates, adjust the air conditioning to 85 degrees F to protect against humidity and potential mold growth.

8. Place indoor and outdoor lights on timers to make property appear occupied.

9. Ask your local police agency to make periodic visits around your buildings. Consider sharing your WiFi password with them during the period the buildings are unoccupied, so they can stay on your premises and do paperwork.