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During extreme events, hotels serve as pivotal support systems for first responders and those in recovery efforts.
As major hurricanes like Dorian recently devastated the Bahamas, relief organizations such as FEMA and the Red Cross were prominently at the forefront of disaster response efforts. However, it's often less publicized that hotels play essential roles behind-the-scenes supporting these efforts alongside first responders and local residents.
Just this month, Bahamian hotels offered shelter to families following Hurricane Dorian's devastation. They also provided millions in donations for recovery, supplied food to survivors, encouraged guest contributions of clothing and other supplies, and more.
To gn a deeper understanding of the hotel industry's crucial roles during disasters, my colleagues Jennifer L. Schneider, Muhammet Kesgin, Sarah Dobie, and I conducted interviews with over 40 Florida-based hotel general managers and collected data from surveys on an additional 156 hotels regarding their experiences during and aftermath of Hurricane Irma two years ago.
Our findings were quite impressive, revealing the varied roles hotels play in relief efforts.
Hotels located near hurricane zones are uniquely positioned to contribute to disaster response due to being physically present with large, fortified buildings that may withstand powerful storms better than others.
Our interviews highlighted annual preparedness practices of Florida hotels that mitigate hurricane impacts through ongoing education, planning, and sharing best practices via local hotel associations like the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West.
Hotel managers explned how they secure advance contracts for diesel fuel to run generators in anticipation of power loss. They also pre-arrange contractors for reprs that may be necessary after storms.
One manager even reported carrying $5,000 in cash before Hurricane Irma's arrival as a precautionary measure to ensure access to groceries for local residents when power outages forced stores to accept only cash transactions.
During Hurricane Irma, evacuees were compelled to seek refuge wherever they could find shelter. Hotels served as critical resources offering lodging during such times, even when their own infrastructure was damaged.
The ability of hotels to d disaster response can dep on the extent of damage suffered by individual buildings. However, in many cases where electricity is lost and infrastructure is damaged, hotels have provided essential support, whether accommodating evacuees who fled homes or insurance adjusters and response teams working to restore services.
Managers shared how they offered discounted room rates to individuals attempting to escape the imping storm, wved pet policies for those fleeing with animals, transformed their establishments into simple shelters where first responders like power repr workers could find safe refuge free of charge. Some managers reported providing dozens of cots in ballrooms for National Guard command posts.
In some instances, hotel staff, feeling unsafe in their homes due to the storm's severity, were allowed to stay with their families at the hotel for free. In certn cases, hotels also provided temporary housing for months post-storm to those who needed it.
Beyond lodging, hotel employees played a vital role by inspecting employee residences to determine habitability while awting official inspections, even providing support for those whose homes were deemed uninhabitable due to storm damage.
Given the dual role hotels play as both private sector businesses and community resources during disasters, it's crucial that policies are developed which effectively recognize and utilize their capabilities.
As such events emphasize the pivotal roles of hotels in disaster response, it prompts a call for policies that can harness these facilities more efficiently, ensuring they're prepared to serve communities when needed most.
In , hotels play indispensable roles during disasters. Their ability to provide shelter, supplies, and support underscores their critical importance to local recovery efforts following catastrophic events like hurricanes or other natural disasters.
This recognition should lead to a reevaluation of hotel industry practices in disaster response management and policy-making, highlighting the need for more robust collaboration between the public sector and the hotel industry during such times.
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