Ivan is a timely reminder of the importance of disaster planning in apartment management, according to Sue Whitaker, who teaches residential property management (RPM) at Ball State University.

One of her classes is using Ivan and two other hurricanes that pounded Florida to learn how apartment managers can plan for and respond to disasters.

Whitaker said RPM graduates from Ball State often go on to develop disaster plans for the apartment communities they manage. Some alumni, now spread throughout the country, tell her that before they started work, their apartment communities did not have reaction plans for hurricanes, terrorism, tornadoes and other disasters.

"Some of them have basic plans, but a lot of them don't have full-blown emergency plans," she said. "Graduates from our RPM program have addressed emergency planning in class and are more prepared for it when they begin their careers."

Whitaker is teaching a maintenance-for-managers class that is required for students majoring in RPM. In one assignment, students must prepare disaster plans that include emergency kits, communication statements, evacuation procedures and more.

She's using hurricanes as real-life teaching tools. Students check the Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site, monitor TV news coverage and observe apartment managers' reactions in the affected areas.

Whitaker tells students that management of an apartment community carries a responsibility for the well-being of its residents.

"If they're going to offer a place to live, they have to make it as safe as they can for residents, especially if they're living in an area prone to natural disasters or terrorism," she said. "Property managers need to be prepared to recognize danger, react to keep residents safe and limit property damage that can be costly to residents, owners and investors."

(Note to Editors: For more information, contact Whitaker at (765) 285-2297 or swhitaker@bsu.edu .)