Police discovered several pipe bombs Tuesday in a self-storage unit in Pacheco, Calif., then shut down a nearby highway during the afternoon rush hour so the bomb squad could destroy the devices.

An informant led police to a self-storage unit at Affordable Storage. The woman renting the unit allowed police to search it, but denied knowing anything about the pipe bombs. Police found a backpack with four pipe bombs in the 10-by-15-foot unit, and a fifth bomb nearby.

Les Stevens, the self-storage manager, told police the woman rented the unit on Dec. 15 and signed the rental agreement, which prohibits storing weapons, drugs, alcohol and other items. Stevens said he had no reason to believe the woman was storing anything illegal.

Police arrested the unidentified woman along with two others who were with her. The unidentified man and woman, who said they were friends of the woman, were charged with possession of methamphetamine.

The Texas Self Storage Association (TSSA) raised $20,802 for the Shriners Childrens Hospital in Galveston, Texas, in 2010. The association, which has supported the hospital through fundraising for 10 years running, has raised $249,600 for the cause in the past decade.

The funds are generated through events held in conjunction with the TSSA annual convention, held each October. Activities include live and silent auctions and a charity poker tournament. In recent years, TSSA member facilities have also raised funds through their Make a Difference campaign in which self-storage customers donate in $1 increments. Participating facilities in 2010 were:

• Allen Mini Storage, Port Arthur
• Amazing Spaces, Houston, Spring & The Woodlands
• Brenham Self Storage, Brenham
• Diamond Self Storage, Pearland
• Longhorn Road Storage, Saginaw
• Storage Choice, Dallas
• Storageland, Arlington
• White Rock Self Storage, Dallas

Donor relations representative Jim Smith accepted the most recent donation from TSSA Executive Director Ginny Sutton at the associations offices in Round Rock.

The Fundraising Committee is already making plans for the next campaign, which will culminate at the TSSA annual convention in Austin, Oct. 16-18, where the association will also celebrate its 25^th anniversary.

The TSSA, established in 1986, is a non-profit trade association dedicated to enhancing the quality of the self-storage industry in Texas. It provides opportunities for members to increase their industry knowledge through education, research, discussion and the exchange of information.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a healthcare system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients ability to pay.

By Jonathon Vogel

As the New Orleans Saints made their thrilling Super Bowl run in 2010, the rest of America caught a glimpse of the people of Louisiana. They found an inspiring, resilient lot. Their upbeat, can-do attitude helped them bounce back from the worst of circumstances2005s Hurricane Katrinaand showed how to look ahead to a better tomorrow.

After Katrina devastated New Orleans and much of the state, destroying homes and leaving entire neighborhoods unlivable, many residents turned to self-storage facilities to keep their property safe. Residents of Metairie, La., just west of New Orleans, stored belongings saved from Katrinas killer flood.

But Mother Nature added insult to injury in May 2009 as a tornado ripped through Metairie.  Metro Self Storage was in the middle of the swath of devastation, and the storms winds and rains destroyed more than a 100 units belonging to people who had already endured too much heartache.

Tenants who had elected to take the storage facilitys offer of tenant insurance protected themselves against loss and didnt have to worry about replacing their possessions. Unlike other victims of the disaster who had to wait for their insurance companies to respondor simply make do with even less than they had after Katrinacustomers with tenant insurance were visited on site by a disaster-response team. Agents were right there with them, writing settlement checks on the spot, helping those in need just after the skies had cleared.

Because an insurance team was on site within hours of the storm, Metro management didnt have to worry about claims and coverage issues, but instead could focus on all the other worries surrounding the disasterthe health and safety of staff, tenants and customers, the arduous effort of recovery, the essential job of cooperating with police and other first-responders, the hopeful work of looking ahead and rebuilding.

The site was a nightmare, said Brian D. Blankenship, executive vice president of Metro Storage LLC. But the insurance response team was great. They met with our customers, and settled most claims right there. It was also one less worry for my team.

One less worrywhen disaster strikes, thats all anyone really wants, whether you own a vast storage facility or rent a tiny unit that serves as an extra attic. Thats what an insurance partner provides. If youre considering a tenant-insurance program, make sure your provider is committed to being there and supporting you, no matter where or when you need it.

A Plan in Place and Claims Filing

Of course, Mother Nature isnt the only cause of disasters and worries, as the people of Louisiana know from experience. Another storage facility in Baton Rouge lost more than half of its 800 units to a massive fire in 2009. Thankfully, it had a well-supported insurance program in place for its tenants. More than 200 claims were settled over the Labor Day weekend.

Those who have experienced catastrophes say that even though its impossible to prevent such unexpected events, if there is a plan in place when the fire alarm gets triggered or the hurricane siren sounds, you are much more likely to recover quickly from disasters, minimize financial loss, and retain tenant good will. The best way to guarantee a smooth claim is to communicate what is expected from all the involved parties.

No one likes to hassle with a claim, but if your tenants follow these simple steps, it will make the process go a lot smoother for everyone. Share these steps with your customers:

1. Notify the manager of the storage facility, particularly if there is damage to the building.

2. Report break-ins to local police. Get the police report.

3. Make a list of what is damaged. Take pictures if you can. Be sure to include as much detail as you can, such as: make, model, year purchased, etc.

4. Secure your property, and protect it from sustaining further damage.

5. Contact the claims department of your tenant-insurance company.

The goal is to make claims processing as effortless as possible for tenantsand as secure, accurate and reliable as possible for owner-operators. When you have experienced insurance agents assessing needs, evaluating claims and cutting checks, it makes all the difference in the world for the self-storage owner and for tenantsespecially those like the people of Louisiana, who have been through more than their share of bad times. Again and again, they have shown us how to overcome the worst and somehow turn it into something, well, super.

Jonathon Vogel is a senior account executive at Bader Co., a provider of insurance solutions for self-storage businesses and a fully licensed provider of tenant insurance. Vogel has a background in insurance and account management, having worked with commercial property management companies in building and grounds maintenance. For more information and a free Now That Youre Insured booklet, visit www.baderco.com .

Most self-storage tenants aren't on the grounds or in the office long enough to develop the need for a restroom, but it does happen, especially if tenants are moving in or out or have children in tow. A recent discussion on Self-Storage Talk (www.selfstoragetalk.com), the industrys largest online community, addresses facility restroom policies: use by tenants, staff and strangers, as well as issues of maintenance.

The discussion is growing in the forums Tales from the Trenches section, where member anbar started a thread on Jan. 13 titled Do you let tenants use the restroom? Most respondents, the majority of which are facility operators, agree it's basic human decency to allow someone to use a restroom if you have one availablenot to mention that it's lousy customer service to turn away someone in real need.

But member hbg71 brings up an interesting point: What if a manager is working alone and trying to assist multiple customers at once? One tenant needs his assistance at a unit, and another wants to use the office restroom. What should he do? Almost all facilities have a policy never to leave a tenant alone in the office.

If that weren't enough of a challenge, some operators are working out of small offices with small adjacent restroomsa combined area so small that the sounds and smells of the restroom can drift into the other areas. Some have started posting horror stories about tenants or, in some cases, total strangers using the restroom and making a mess.

It may be a bit of a crass subject, but the dilemma is one that many operators face. What's your bathroom policy? How can you give customers privacy and a place to use the restroom without creating a security issue? Jump in on the thread and post your perspective. If you don't have a username, which you will need to post, you can register one for free at www.selfstoragetalk.com. The process is easy and takes only a few minutes.

Live and growing since 2008, Self-Storage Talk is the largest online forum in the industry and the official forum of Inside Self-Storage. SST has approximately 3,930 members, 23 different topical forums, 3,900 discussion threads and 34,000 posts.

The early-bird discount for registration to the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas has been extended to Jan. 21. Attendees can save up to $300 on the shows Premium Package, which includes two workshops.

The event at the Paris Hotel and Resort, March 14-16, will feature 36 seminars, four workshops, two days of exhibits, and multiple peer-to-peer networking events. By registering before the early-bird deadline, attendees will save:

• $150 on the standard Education Package
• $300 on the Premium Package, which includes the Education Package plus a choice of two workshops
• Up to 35 percent on individual add-on workshops

The standard Education Package includes access to all seminars, the exhibit hall, and five networking events including the popular Self-Storage Q&A, Technology Marketplace and Buyers & Sellers Meeting. Self-storage owners, managers, developers and investors will have access to four comprehensive education tracks covering the industrys hottest topics including online marketing, collections and lien sales, manager incentives, facility design, and much more. The expos four add-on workshops delve deeper into the critical areas of marketing, legal issues, development and site operation. The exhibit hall will feature more than 100 of the self-storage industrys top suppliers representing a highly diverse range of products and services.

Attendees can also take advantage of discount room rates through Feb. 15 by calling 1.800.HARRAHS and mentioning the expo.

Details about the industrys largest conference and tradeshow can be found at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com. Registration can be completed online or by calling 800.230.2311.

A self-storage manager and member of the Texas Air National Guard is claiming he was illegally terminatedon Sept. 11because he was on active duty in Iraq.

Spc. Bruce Grove, a Lewisville, Texas, resident, alleges Assured Self Storage notified him of his firing in October 2009 upon his return to the United States. He learned he had lost his job after his wife, who lived with him at the facility, phoned him to tell him shed received a hand-delivered notice of termination. In addition, through a series of e-mails Grove exchanged with Assured Self-Storage, the company reportedly told Grove there weren't any open positions at the facility. According to the news report, Grove's facility had been acquired, resulting in manager consolidation.

Grove points to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), a statute that protects military personnel while serving in the armed forces abroad. According to KDAF-TV in Dallas, which spoke with a representative of The Assured Group, the company contacted the Department of Labor's Veterans office to discuss Grove's situation and the application of USERRA. The department told The Assured Group that they would not investigate the situation, but Grove could contact the Attorney General and pursue his own case.

Grove has been unemployed since 2009 and continues to look for work. He has decided to take his story to the media because he believes many reservists and national guard troops fall victim to similar situations but do not speak up. A video interview with Grove is available in the source article.

Authorities in Saline, Mich., have issued a warning to the public about a rash of self-storage larceny at local facilities, particularly at U-Store Self Storage.

The manager of the Industrial Road facility reported the most recent theft between Dec. 30 and 31 after discovering three missing locks in the same aisle. Stolen goods included a television, computer, furniture, kitchenware and a set of collectible figurines, amounting to $3,000 worth of property.

At least five additional thefts have occurred since September. In separate incidents, commercial lawnmowers were stolen at the end of September, and thousands of dollars worth of athletic gear were lifted in November.

After reviewing surveillance video, police said it appears thieves are entering the facilities by tailgating tenants or are requesting access by claiming theyve forgotten their access codes.

Saline is located 45 miles southwest of Detroit and 11 miles south of Ann Arbor, and has a population of about 8,000.

Self-storage call center and marketing firm PhoneSmart will host an Un-Conference on the Big Island of Hawaii, June 7-11, and will give a way a free trip to one lucky winner.

The Un-Conference, which will take place at the Mauni Lani Resort, is open to self-storage VIPs who want to discuss important industry topics in a relaxing setting. The event theme is Unconventional Ideas, Unscripted Sessions, Unbelievable Learning. The less structured format is intended to provide time for networking, discussion-building and general rejuvenation.

Each day of the Un-Conference will open with breakfast and networking at 8 a.m. and a 45-minute general session at approximately 8:30. From there, attendees will enjoy a variety of speakers, then break into roundtable discussions, and enjoy a group lunch before being released to enjoy the afternoon as they desire. Additional group functions will include a community-service project, a snorkel cruise, tours of cultural sites, and more group meals.

PhoneSmart director Tron Jordheim asks that attendees submit in advance a list of topics in which they are most interested in learning as well as industry experts theyd most like to meet. Attendees will also be given the opportunity to present their own roundtable discussions. Jordheim believes popular topics for this years event will include online lead conversion, social media, increasing foot traffic, mobile marketing, add-on sales and others.

PhoneSmart will also hold a drawing to give away one free trip to Hawaii. The winner will receive a free conference package, four free nights at the resort in an ocean-view room, and free coach airfare from the continental United States for two travelers. To enter the drawing, interested parties should visit the PhoneSmart booth at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas, March 14-16, or any other tradeshow at which the company exhibits before the drawing takes place on April 15. Some conditions and restrictions apply.

PhoneSmart provides contact-center services, sales training, secret shopping and customer-service audits for more than 700 self-storage properties across North America.

More information about the Un-Conference can be found at www.phonesmart-hawaii-unconference.com.