Your B&B provides guests with a respite from reality, but unfortunately unexpected emergency circumstances can and do still occur.

Whether it’s a raging storm that wreaks havoc on your property or an accident happens and results in a serious injury, you will want to be prepared with a B&B emergency plan.

You need a comprehensive emergency procedure that is easy to implement. If guests come to harm under your care, it could seriously damage your reputation and your direct bookings.

The following tips can help you create a B&B incident response strategy.

Create A B&B Emergency Team

Your team of staff need to be dedicated and ready to respond in the event of an emergency.

You need to identify the chain of command so that the team can act swiftly during an emergency incident.

Whether it’s a fire at the property or a fatality that takes place at your B&B, your emergency team needs to be able to act in a calm, professional manner to make sure that the situation is handled in the best way possible.

Prepare A B&B Disaster Kit And Make Sure Its Location Is Published

A variety of emergency situations require you to have supplies on hand to take care of your guests as well as your staff members. Your disaster kit should include these basic supplies:

  • First aid kit
  • Flashlight
  • Batteries
  • Bottled water
  • Blankets
  • Radio
  • An emergency set of room keys
  • Copy of the emergency plan

You also could store other convenience items in this kit, which can help your guests during an emergency. Board games, a deck of cards, pillows and non-perishable snacks may provide your guests with comfort during a stressful time.

Have Your Staff Participate In An Emergency Training Seminar

You need to be properly trained to handle a variety of emergency situations. Contact your local authorities to see if there is an emergency training seminar available that can provide you and your staff with the information and resources you need to handle emergency situations correctly.

Evaluate Your Property And Work To Reduce Risks

You should work to prevent emergency situations from occurring, and the best way to do this is to minimize risks that are present on your property. Be sure that your landscaping is clear of obstructions and that your pavement is not cracked or damaged.

This can help reduce the risk of slip-and-fall accidents. Verify that there are no obvious fire risks in your property, and request that your guests refrain from using candles in their rooms or from smoking on your grounds.

Always adhere to occupancy rates so that there are not too many people present at any given moment.

Test Your Emergency Equipment On A Regular Basis

Make sure that you have smoke detectors, fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and other equipment properly installed throughout your property.

Test all equipment at least once a month to be sure it will work correctly in the event of an emergency.

In the event of a B&B emergency, be sure to remain calm. You need to be the leader for your guests and guide them through these unexpected and difficult circumstances.

By Dean Elphick

Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).