In the days following an earthquake, a city’s resources are likely to be stretched thin. Building inspectors and mutual aid workers will prioritize the evaluation of critical infrastructure (hospitals, airports, etc.) and critically damaged buildings. San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection warns that 3-10 days may pass before the City’s inspectors are able to perform the required rapid safety assessments.

However, in a major event with aftershocks necessitating extra rounds of reviews, the potential for a longer wait likely should not be ruled out. BORP exists for building owners and their tenants interested in a “rapid, individualized emergency response.”

The target turnaround time for the inspection of a BORP-registered building is typically 24 hours.

As part of San Francisco’s program, a written inspection manual is prepared on behalf of the building by a firm employing specially trained and pre-certified, licensed engineers. In creating the manual, the professionals get the opportunity to both familiarize themselves with the structural system and to identify any vulnerabilities that may be easily addressed to lower the risk of damage (missing equipment anchorage, seismic bracing, etc.).

The manual is submitted to the Department of Building Inspection for review, and, upon approval, the deputized professionals are given red, yellow, and green tags to post at the building’s entrances immediately following an earthquake.

Click Here to see the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection frequently asked questions about why businesses would use BORP.

If preparation of the inspection manual could be considered the first stage of BORP work, the second and third phases are periodic maintenance and post-disaster implementation. San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection requires the periodic submittal of a renewal form and updated contact information. Inspectors must maintain their familiarity with both the building itself and the inspection plan, typically performing annual building walk-throughs.

The key benefit to enrollment in BORP and related programs is the reduction in business interruption costs. 

The extended downtime that could result from awaiting public inspection is not a practical option for many businesses; for instance, medical research laboratories and financial data centers. Through BORP, not only does the inspection occur much faster, but it also can be performed with a greater degree of certainty.

Pre-certifying a building and inspection plan allows for a more targeted review of the building’s specific vulnerabilities and a more informed, and reduces the risk of an overly conservative assessment of the buildings safety. As structural systems are often concealed and may be complex, a deputized engineer directly familiar with the building (and with a tailored inspection manual in hand) simply is not subject to the same degree of uncertainty a mutual aid inspector would face.

To help clients mitigate the risk of business interruption, Meridian Survey has a team of licensed structural engineers specially trained and certified to act as deputized inspectors through BORP. In participating cities, we can prepare BORP plans resulting in program enrollment and prioritized post-earthquake inspections.

Contact Us Today about enrolling your building in the San Francisco Building Occupancy Resumption Program (BORP).

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