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68 In 2020, our industry, our nation, and our world as a whole, found itself confronted with an unprecedented health crisis in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. is year also marked the 30th anniversary of Safeguard Properties' work in the property preservation and field services sector. at would be an auspicious achievement under any circumstances, but this year has provided little time to celebrate. While those decades of experience spent developing and evolving a disaster response playbook no doubt served as a valuable foundation, both Safeguard and the industry as a whole have been forced to reexamine policies, adapt on a nearly daily basis, and navigate a crisis that has no clear ending point. Looking back over those three decades and ahead to the challenging months to come, the Safeguard executive team recently spoke to DS News about key takeaways from the pandemic and what they're doing to prepare for an uncertain future. DIGGING THROUGH THE NOISE Terry Smith, CEO of Rushmore Loan Management Services (a client of Safeguard's), told DS News, "Natural disasters aren't going away. ey can happen at any time, and you have to have a plan in place to be ready for the myriad of unknowns that come with these types of disasters." While the company's extensive experience in natural disaster preparation and response may not have helped anticipate every aspect of this current health crisis, the Safeguard executive team told DS News that many lessons do apply. "e most important thing is to stay nimble," said Joe Iafigliola, CFO. at nimbleness includes staying apprised of all relevant changes and updates from a federal on down to a community level and ensuring those updates are communicated effectively to the vendor network. "It's important that we track specific levels of federal disaster response and communication. Policies are not necessarily consistent at each level of government. We have to understand and act as policies change." Iafigliola added that everyone has to recognize that "when you have a localized disaster, the people who do the work live in the impacted community. ey, and their families, are often impacted as well." is means property preservation companies need to have contingency plans in place to bring in inspectors or contractors from neighboring states, counties, or cities while the locals are working to get back on their feet. Michael Greenbaum, Safeguard's COO, agreed that communication is the backbone of any sort of disaster response, whether the root cause is a storm, a wildfire, or a flood. "Everyone can see the news," Greenbaum LINES OF COMMUNICATION The executive team at Safeguard Properties discusses the critical nature of communication, and how the industry is managing the pandemic. Feature By: David Wharton 68