Roundtable focuses on safety for businesses

In light of the Monday night fire that destroyed Cape Restaurant Supply, it wasn't hard to get small-business owners and workers gathered in the meeting room of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

The group of 17 local merchants and business people was aflutter with scattered talk of the fire in the minutes leading up to the chamber's Small Business Round Table on safety issues for small businesses. Sgt. Rick Schmidt of the Cape Girardeau Police Department and Cape Girardeau fire marshal Mike Morgan addressed the quarterly meeting, sponsored by the chamber's Small Business Council. The theme of both speakers was disaster prevention.

"I know that in business you still have to make that bottom line," Morgan said. "There are a lot of things that can occupy a business owner's time. Life safety becomes a backseat issue."

But certain precautions can help companies save money in the case of a disaster, he said.

"I would encourage anyone starting a business to first contact the fire department or the city inspector before closing the deal on a location," Morgan said. He said that some buildings are not equipped to handle certain types of businesses safely. A preliminary inspection, he said, will help the owner know what will need to be done before they are locked into a lease.

He said those inspections will make sure a building has adequate electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, as well as sufficient emergency lighting and exit signs. Morgan added that the inspection will also deem whether a building has adequate fire walls, fire alarms and, most important, sprinkler systems.

"We haven't lost a building yet with a sprinkler system," Morgan said.

He also said it was important for business owners to perform their own upkeep, like having fire extinguishers checked regularly and to make sure the batteries in the smoke detectors are good.

Schmidt advised those in attendance to think like a criminal when evaluating the security of their own businesses.

"Criminals are opportunists," he said.

Schmidt emphasized the need for adequate lighting both in and around businesses. This enables employees to see out during business hours, looking out for lurking perpetrators, and police to see in the establishment after hours. He also stressed making sure address numbers on the building are visible so the police and fire can easily locate them.

Schmidt also recommended that businesses to make sure their alarms and surveillance systems are kept up.

trehagen@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137