In The Public Eye


a valid form of identification and have a current photograph taken; request- ing these items can ward off would-be criminals before they become tenants and keeping them on file can assist with investigations should an incident occur.


Most rental agreements also require


tenants to either provide proof that their homeowners insurance covers items stored outside of the home, enroll in a tenant insurance program, or pay for a protection plan. Each tenant should be encouraged to obtain insurance or a protection plan for their stored belong- ings. If/when an incident occurs, tenant insurance programs and protection plans can possibly reimburse tenants for their losses and lessen the unpleasantness of the situation. Of course, owners should have comprehensive property and liabili- ty insurance coverages as well, and Diane Gibson, president of Cox’s Armored Mini Storage Management, strongly suggests securing loss of income insurance to help facilities stay afloat should a fire or natu- ral disaster cause significant damages that disrupt business for extended peri- ods of time.


Besides rental agreements and


insurance programs, owners and opera- tors can utilize security systems and operational procedures to thwart on-site criminal activities. Cameras, gates and fencing, lighting, access control systems, advanced locks, heat sensors, and motion detectors are effective when regularly maintained and monitored. Some owner- operators also allow police departments to train their K-9 officers on site. Which- ever options you use, be sure to post signage that informs visitors and tenants of the security measures in place at the facility. Additionally, Charlie Fritts, COO of Storage Investment Management Inc. (SIMI), reminds owner-operators to conduct frequent inspections of the site’s fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems; ensuring they are in good working order can keep small fires from destroying entire facilities.


To prepare for natural disasters and other potential crises, Gibson and Carol


Mixon, owner of SkilCheck Services, Inc., advise owner-operators to have emergency manuals on hand for facil- ity managers to reference.


“Be prepared,” says Mixon, adding


that managers must “triage” the situa- tion and know who to contact.


Gibson, who ensures there’s a copy


of the Self Storage Association’s “Emer- gency Preparedness Manual” at each site her company manages, says that site managers need guidance in those situations. “It’s always good to have some kind of guideline in place.”


Owner-operators who’d rather


create their own manuals should ask themselves, “How would I want it handled?” After answering that ques- tion, they should write up step-by-step procedures for every possible emer- gency that could impact their facility and provide managers with a copy.


Control The Narrative Even with preventative measures in place, incidents still occasionally occur. When something negative happens, effective communication is key. Who you need to contact depends on the severity of the situation, but one thing is certain: If you don’t control the narrative, someone else will—and their version of events could be both inaccurate and unflattering for your business.


For this reason, owner-operators


should deal with situations “head on,” says Fritts, who advises developing a truthful but low-key statement that can be used to notify tenants and the public and/or press, if applicable, about the incident. “Don’t be smug. Be sincere. And look between the lines,” he adds, mentioning that your carefully curated message should not have “holes” or point out deficiencies that could inadvertently place blame on the facility’s structure, features, or employees. You’ll also want to avoid leaving blanks that others could fill in with assumptions.


Here’s another good example of control-


ling the narrative: When a tenant was using a unit as a makeshift autobody shop and his vehicle repairs caused a fire, Fritts and SIMI notified tenants and the public that the former renter had been asked to leave for violating the facility’s policies; the storing of flammable materials is prohibited, and rent- ers are not permitted to use the space for anything other than storage. The tenants were also reminded that the property was still a safe place to store their belongings and that fires are not a common occurrence at self-storage facilities.


Of course, no one was notified about


those incidents before the proper authori- ties (police and fire department) had been contacted. After the site has been secured, Fritts suggests talking to tenants first and then responding to the press if they’ve contacted you for comment. Tenants who cannot be reached by phone should be sent emails and/or letters to keep them abreast of any site damages, planned repairs, and changes to the facility’s office hours or access control systems. Fritts offers an addi- tional press-related tip: “Downplay it, but don’t ignore it.” Indeed, glossing over it like it never happened could generate distrust within the community and tarnish your business’ reputation.


Who should be relaying your prepared


statement to tenants and the press is a matter of preference, and perhaps profes- sionalism. Some talkative managers may deviate from the official statement, which could put the facility at fault or spawn unrealistic guarantees that “it won’t happen again.” Others may not be the “face of the facility” you’d prefer to see on the news. Operators who don’t want to be the spokes- person and lack a coachable manager could pay a publicist, PR firm, or possibly


MiniStorageMessenger.com • August 2023 45 Years ago, when a body was discovered


in a deep freezer within a unit at a prop- erty that SIMI managed, the company kept correspondence about the incident “brief,” assuring current tenants and the public that the police were investigating the homicide, which did not occur at the facility, and that the killer (the female renting the unit) was not at large.


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