Disaster Response and Hurricane Security

A hurricane, flood or other disaster can leave a building open to the street for days. Glass is broken, alarms are offline, owners and staff may be under evacuation orders, and recovery crews, inspectors and the public are all moving through the same area. McCray provides disaster response security for property owners, retailers, contractors and organizations running relief and recovery work, from the days before landfall through cleanup and reopening.

Sites Covered

Coverage depends on the type of site and the stage of the response. Officers are posted at:

• Damaged retail stores and shopping centers
• Commercial and office buildings
• Evacuated and vacant properties
• Relief supply distribution points
• Shelters and mass care sites
• Disaster recovery centers
• Debris, equipment and staging yards
• Restoration and rebuilding job sites

Before the Storm

According to the National Hurricane Center, the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with a peak on September 10 and most activity between mid-August and mid-October. FEMA’s Ready.gov hurricane information sheet lists the threats as powerful winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, rip currents, tornadoes and landslides. The center’s storm surge overview states that surge from tropical cyclones poses a significant threat to life and property along the coast.

Pre-storm assignments focus on closing a site in an orderly way and creating a record of its condition. Typical duties include:

• Supporting closing and shutter procedures
• Photographing doors, glass and stock before closing
• Checking that gates, locks and roof hatches are secured
• Controlling access while staff remove inventory
• Confirming the client’s emergency contact list

Post Orders state when officers are released ahead of the storm and when they return, in line with evacuation and re-entry orders from local authorities.

After the Storm: Property Protection and Re-Entry

Ready.gov advises people to follow re-entry guidance from local authorities and to return from an evacuation only when it is safe. Once an area reopens, a damaged store or building with open walls, broken glass or failed alarms needs someone on site until it can be closed in. Officers provide a visible presence against looting and trespass, record damage on arrival, log everyone who enters and summon law enforcement when needed.

Re-entry control matters because many people have a legitimate reason to be on site: adjusters, engineers, restoration crews, utility workers and the owner’s own staff. Florida’s Statewide Private Sector Re-Entry Program states that local elected officials and law enforcement officers will work together to determine when an area is safe enough for individuals to return. Under the program, individuals and businesses providing essential commodities and services to impacted areas are allowed re-entry by presenting to local officials a valid government-issued ID, proof of employment and a demonstrated need to enter, such as a work order, inventory list or employer authorization. Officers at a client’s site apply the same discipline: an approved entry list, identification checks and a record of who came and went.

FEMA’s disaster fraud guidance warns that after a disaster, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals often attempt to take advantage of survivors. It advises always asking to see identification, states that FEMA personnel will always have an official identification badge, and notes that federal agencies never charge for disaster assistance. Post Orders direct officers to ask anyone claiming to be an inspector or official for identification and to refer questions to the client’s designated contact.

Security for Relief and Recovery Operations

Relief sites concentrate supplies, equipment and people in one place, often for long hours. FEMA’s Distribution Management Plan Guide 2.0 (January 2022), written for state, local, tribal and territorial agencies, private sector and nonprofit partners and FEMA itself, defines points of distribution as centralized locations where survivors pick up life-sustaining relief supplies. The guide lists security among the planning considerations for those sites, names a site security officer among the positions at a commodity point of distribution, and identifies security as a support need when selecting staging sites. FEMA describes its Disaster Recovery Centers as temporary offices set up after a disaster to provide support to impacted areas and communities.

Government buyers procure services through official channels. For federal purchases, FAR 26.205 directs contracting officers to consult the Disaster Response Registry at SAM.gov to identify contractors available for debris removal, distribution of supplies, reconstruction and other disaster or emergency relief. State and local agencies follow their own procurement rules. Private owners, retailers, contractors and nonprofit organizations can engage McCray directly for sites they control.

Fire Watch When Systems Are Down

Wind, flooding and long power outages can take fire alarm and sprinkler systems out of service until repairs are made. A fire watch handout from the City of Everett, Washington Fire Marshal’s Office, citing International Fire Code section 901.7, states that when a required fire protection system is out of service, the building must be evacuated or an approved fire watch provided for all areas left unprotected. Codes and local amendments differ, so owners should confirm the requirement with their own fire code official. McCray assigns fire watch officers to make timed rounds of the unprotected areas, record each round and alert the fire department and occupants when fire is discovered. A fire watch is a temporary measure and does not take the place of restoring the system.

Screening, Training and Supervision

Officers complete a five-stage screening process and tier-based training before assignment, including de-escalation and, for retail posts, organized retail crime recognition. Supervisors make unannounced site visits, and the McCray Operations Desk answers 24/7/365. Incidents are documented on scene, time-stamped and GPS-verified.

Common Questions

What does disaster response security include?

It can include pre-storm site securing, static officers at damaged properties, mobile patrol across several sites, re-entry and access control, security at relief and recovery sites, and fire watch. Each assignment has written Post Orders covering the site, hours, entry rules and contacts.

When should hurricane security be arranged?

Planning before the season begins leaves time to agree on Post Orders, access lists and contacts for each site. Requests made once a storm is forecast, or after it has passed, are handled through emergency security services and follow the instructions of local authorities.

Can security officers stop looting after a hurricane?

A uniformed officer on site is a visible deterrent to looting and trespass. Officers observe, document and call law enforcement; physical intervention is limited to what the law and the site’s Post Orders permit.

Who decides when people can return to an area after a hurricane?

Local officials make that call. Florida’s private sector re-entry program, for example, assigns the decision to local elected officials and law enforcement officers. Officers follow those decisions and do not enter closed areas without authorization.

How can someone verify a FEMA inspector?

By asking to see identification. FEMA’s disaster fraud page states that FEMA personnel will always have an official identification badge and that personal information should be given only to a verified FEMA representative.

Is security available for FEMA site and disaster recovery operations?

McCray provides officers for disaster recovery operations, including distribution points, shelters, recovery centers and staging yards, when engaged by the organization responsible for the site. Federal and state agencies procure security through their own official channels.