NMHC Creates Online Pandemic Flu Resource Center

Although the number of swine flu cases is likely to drop this summer, it is expected to resurface in the fall and winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To help site owners and managers develop or update their business continuity planning and emergency preparedness plans, the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC) has created an online Pandemic Flu Resource Center at http://www.nmhc.org/goto/flu.

The center provides site managers with NMHC guidance outlining steps to take to prepare for a pandemic flu outbreak, as well as white papers, planning guides, checklists, conference presentations, key contacts, and links to the Centers for Disease Control, Ready.gov, state plans for pandemic flu, and other resources. While access to some of the guidance materials is limited to NMHC members, the majority of the content is available to the public. The NMHC plans to continue to update the site with industry-specific information and government guidance as events unfold.

“The apartment industry has unique challenges given its dual role as a housing provider and an employer, and therefore, must consider its role in each capacity,” according to Jeanne McGlynn, NMHC's vice president of Business and Risk Management Policy.