The ongoing political unrest in Bangkok has raised the need for efficient emergency planning in the property and real estate industry.
The issue has been highlighted by Suphin Mechuchep, Managing Director of international property services firm Jones Lang LaSalle.
She told DDproperty.com: “All property developments in Bangkok have a basic emergency plan that covers incidents such as fires and earthquakes, but not all developments have an emergency escalation plan that covers terrorism and political unrests.”
Her observations and experience show that all modern buildings, and buildings that are located in protest areas, do have some kind of emergency escalation plan in place.
She said: “Though current anti-government protests are aimed at occupying certain areas of Bangkok only, owners of property developments, particularly those that are located in or near the protest areas, should ensure that they have an emergency escalation plan.
“The emergency escalation plan typically includes provisions of water supply and fuel for emergency power generators. Emergency power supply in particular must be provided at an adequate level to ensure not only that the buildings could still operate, but also that IT servers of tenants within the buildings would not be affected. Provisions of food for on-site building management team are also necessary in case access to the property is blocked or needs to be blocked.”
She noted that plans should also cover effective communications.
“This will ensure that the building management staff understand and are clear about what actions to take in different scenarios, who to contact for help if needed and how to keep all parties updated of the developing situation, whether they are building owners, tenants or relevant authorities.
“In addition, many companies occupying space in an office building may have their own business continuity plan (BCP) to ensure continuing operations under adverse conditions such as political unrests. To ensure an efficient implementation of the occupiers’ BCP and the landlords’ emergency plan, both parties must work closely together.
“Even if there were no political unrests, property developments would need proactive property strategies anyway. A comprehensive emergency plan is one of those strategies that could help minimise risks or losses from any unexpected incidents,” Suphin concluded.
Andrew Batt, International Group Editor of PropertyGuru Group, wrote this story. To contact him about this or other stories email andrew@propertyguru.com.sg
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