We believe that along with providing the best possible protection plan for our clients that educating our clients, family and friends of the importance of insurance is a high priority.
With this blog we hope to offer another avenue to give more information, examples and educational pieces that will help demonstrate the importance of having the right policy in place and give a better understanding of the complex insurance products out there. Today I want to focus on a few of the fire claims which a few of our clients have suffered and how by having the proper policy in place everything was taken care of…
Rarely does a week go by without reading or hearing about a large residential fire in Calgary. Most of us read the article quickly or glance at the TV and feel badly for the people involved. Have you ever really thought of the devastation to your life that a fire could cause??
Some recent fires include:
- Triplex in Deerview which was caused by a cigarette disposed in a planter outside, causing upwards to $900,000 damage April 2011.
- Millrise Condo Fire in March 2010 – caused by a cigarette disposed in a planter on a balcony of the condo building.
- House in Chaparel hit by lightning Summer 2010.
Tips for your home and your family
- Have a working smoke alarm on each level of your home and outside the bedrooms. Annoying noise but it could save your life.
- Test smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year if they are not hardwired.
- Replace old smoke detectors – over 10 years old. Thanks about 90 in smoke detector years.
- Develop an escape plan with your household and practice it often.
- Make sure safety bars on windows can be opened from the inside.
- Keep bedroom doors closed at night – this could save your life.
- Have your furnace and fireplace inspected and cleaned annually.
- NEVER extinguish cigarettes in a planter, in the grass or peat moss.
- Always keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
- Keep areas around space heaters free of clutter.
Also, let us know if you have a monitored fire and burglar alarm because all of the companies we represent offer an alarm discount!
Stay Safe!