How to Measure Emergency Preparedness

By TJ Grim, Ready 2 Respond Trainer

Facilities professionals are no strangers to metrics. From preventive maintenance completion rates to tenant satisfaction and equipment maintenance downtime, data drives daily decision-making. But when it comes to water emergencies – flooding from burst pipes, storm damage, or plumbing failures – too many organizations are still reactive rather than proactive.

Your facilities team’s performance isn’t just about KPIs like energy usage and infrastructure system reliability. It’s also about facility readiness to manage unexpected challenges – especially those that threaten safety, operational continuity, and reputation. Emergency preparedness, particularly for water-related incidents, is an often-overlooked but critical measure of organizational performance.

The Missing Metric: Emergency Readiness

Emergencies like water damage are inevitable. Yet, unlike HVAC efficiency or square-foot productivity, emergency readiness is rarely tracked until it’s too late. Assessing this area means asking:

• Are response protocols documented and known across the team?
• How quickly can critical areas (e.g., server rooms, labs, dorms) be back in service after an incident?
• Is equipment available, maintained, and ready to deploy?
• Have staff been trained and drilled to act without delay?

Without answers to these questions, the risks to property, people, and reputation increase.

Organizational Impact of Being Unprepared

Delays in water emergency response don’t just lead to wet floors – they disrupt operations, damage equipment, displace building occupants, and strain budgets. At institutions like universities and hospitals, this can mean cancellations, relocations, and critical data and archival loss.

Facilities that treat emergency preparedness as a measured, organizational priority see better long-term outcomes, including:

• Reduced operational downtime and disruptions
• Prevention of mold and severe structural damage
• Fewer insurance claims and lower costs
• Higher confidence from stakeholders and leadership
• Well-trained teams with buy-in to a more proactive approach
• Better alignment with strategic risk management goals

Measuring Readiness: Key Indicators to Track

Integrating preparedness into performance reviews doesn't require reinventing the wheel. Facilities teams can begin by identifying a few targeted indicators, such as:

• Written emergency response plan reviewed and updated every quarter
• Response time to contain water incidents (goal: within first 100 minutes)
• Number of team members trained in emergency procedures
• Inventory of water damage equipment and placement map
• Equipment readiness checks and preventive maintenance completed each quarter
• Completion of facility assessments and hands-on emergency drills
• Time to resume operations post-incident

These metrics can be folded into existing reporting frameworks, giving leadership a clearer picture of facility resilience.

From Insight to Action: How Assessments Help

Facilities that perform well on readiness metrics often have one thing in common: they’ve taken the time to assess their risks, resources, and gaps – and proactively make changes to close them.

By assessing and addressing readiness, facilities can identify vulnerable buildings and equipment zones, streamline communication protocols, create response playbooks tailored to everyday water events, and identify training plans to empower team members for fast, confident action.

These proactive steps not only protect people and property – they also improve operational performance and staff competence and confidence.

Performance Is More Than Productivity

In the face of intense weather patterns, aging infrastructure, and tighter budgets, measuring organizational performance must go beyond efficiency. Emergency preparedness, particularly for water damage events, is a strategic advantage. Facilities that integrate it into performance goals are better equipped to respond, recover, and thrive.

Contact the R2R team for help with a facility readiness assessment and response plan. For facility management tips, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our Facility Insights newsletter.