When fire strikes: protect your pumping business

Texas blaze a good reminder to be prepared for disaster
When fire strikes: protect your pumping business

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A story ripped from the headlines this week is a good reminder that pumpers need to be prepared for a fire disaster. I’m posting a few business preparedness tips to help prevent a fire or be ready to deal with the fallout of fire loss.

But first, the news: A fire that destroyed about 350 portable restrooms at a United Site Services facility in San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday is under investigation, though early reports state it might have been caused by stray New Year’s Eve fireworks. This is the second fire in Texas in two years at a portable restroom storage yard, following a few dozen units melted at an industrial site in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2012.

Arson has become a bigger concern to companies that carry portable restrooms in recent years. Would you be prepared to deal with a loss like this? And have you taken measures to prevent fires on your business property? Here are a few tips:

• Examine the security fence around your property for gaps and vandalism. If you don’t have it, consider making an investment in fencing to beef up security.

• Consider security cameras for your property. If you have them already, how old are they? Camera systems are improving all the time and coming down in cost. They can deter crime or catch bad guys after a vandalism incident.

• Check your business insurance to make sure you have adequate coverage to replace all of your equipment in the event of a fire.

• Continually evaluate your equipment needs so that if you face a major loss, you know what you’ll need to purchase to keep your business running smoothly.

Do you have other ideas to protect a pumping business from a devastating fire? You can share your tips right here.



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