by California Casualty | Nominate a Hero |
Robert is not only a firefighter and CPR Instructor, but also active within his community. He coaches softball, encouraging values such as commitment, teamwork, and hard work. He volunteers every year at the local school district teaching classes for Career Day, Literacy Day, Fire Prevention Day and more. He also teaches classes about safety during storms and natural disasters.
Since helping and working in his community, he takes pride in reaching out and letting others know of upcoming firefighter exams in the community. He shares awareness and helps everyone he can, even if it means inviting others to use his home desk to complete the application for the firefighter exam. Close ones say if he isn’t fighting fires or saving lives, he is a mentor, teacher, friend, coach, or nurse to a young person.
by California Casualty | Homeowners Insurance Info |
Why should I worry, there’s never been a disaster or emergency in my area before? If that’s your reaction to emergency preparation, you’re setting your family up for disaster. Here are nine other signs you probably aren’t ready for the unexpected:
- You have no property insurance or the “bare minimum” because your house is paid off.
- You couldn’t be bothered signing up for those annoying cell phone emergency alerts.
- What’s a weather alert radio?
- You only know one way in and out of your neighborhood.
- When someone mentions geographic land features, you think they are talking about the mound left in the front yard where the tree was removed last year.
- When you hear there is a tornado or severe thunderstorm watch, you actually go out to watch for them.
- You think a bottle of water and a fanny pack are all you need if you are evacuated.
- Having a home inventory means knowing how much toilet paper and milk you have.
- Heck, we’ve been waiting for that big storm so we can get a new roof (we already have five leaks, what’s one more).
Seriously, disaster preparation is not a laughing matter; just ask anyone who survived the fury of Hurricane Sandy, the horrors after Hurricane Katrina, or dug through the ashes of their homes in the recent disastrous West Coast fires. September is National Preparedness Month when emergency experts are asking everyone to know their risks, develop a plan, prepare an emergency supply kit and make a home inventory. In the next few days and weeks we’ll share details on things you need to do before a disaster strikes. In the meantime, visit www.ready.gov for more information on preparing for an emergency, before it’s too late.
by California Casualty | Nurses |
- You know what DTaP, APA, BBP, CVA, FMPS and MI stand for.
- You learned that Stable is not one of the four conditions of a patient which are: Critical, Serious, Fair and Good.
- Discussions of mucus were one of the daily dinner table conversations.
- You learned to dread full moon nights and what kind of mood your nurse-parent would be in the next day.
- Scrubs were considered every-day attire.
- You laugh at needles, catheters and don’t freak out anytime anyone slips on latex gloves.
- You constantly heard, “from one to ten, what’s your pain level?”
- You were regularly awakened from a dead sleep because your breathing patterns were a little too close to Cheyne-Stokes rhythm or sounded like severe apnea.
- You were taught to carry four extra pens and to keep track of every one of them.
- You got used to daily “bathroom visits” to check your BM.
- There was nothing you could do that would gross out your nurse mom or dad.
- The last place you were allowed to go when you were sick was to see a doctor.
by California Casualty | News |
Instead of staying home and having a BBQ this Labor Day weekend, many of us will be hitting the road for one last blast of fun before the leaves drop and the weather cools. Thanks to lower fuel costs, both flying and driving will be less expensive. In fact, the airline industry is projecting 14.2 million Americans will be flying this year, an increase of three percent from last year.
For those looking for one last great summer adventure, Expedia has collected data and released a list of the top 10 destinations for Labor Day 2015:
- Las Vegas
- New York City
- Cancun
- Orlando
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Miami
- Seattle
- Washington, D.C.
Expedia finds travel costs to many of the top 10 destinations have gone down from last year.
To stretch your Labor Day travel dollars even further, CheapAir.com advises the best day to depart is Wednesday, September 2, with a return trip on Tuesday or Wednesday, September 8 or 9.
If Europe has been on your travel radar, the strong dollar compared to the Euro has reduced food and lodging costs in many European destinations by five to 20 percent.
For families looking for something unique to do, Mashable.com has highlighted some of the best Labor Day events, from the Navy Pier fireworks display in Chicago to the multitude of festivals in the Los Angeles area.
Don’t let a flat tire or heat drained battery detour your fun if you choose to drive to your Labor Day destination; check out our list of summer auto care tips at https://mycalcas.com/2015/08/dont-let-summer-heat-drain-your-vehicle/.
And before you head out on that trip, make sure your auto and home are protected. Contact a California Casualty advisor for a policy review or quote at 1.800.800.9410 or visit www.calcas.com.
So, where is your favorite place or thing to do for Labor Day? Let us know so we can share it with others.
Resources for this article:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/08/18/airline-travel-labor-day-holiday-busy-record-summer/31863557/
https://viewfinder.expedia.com/news/expedia-analysis-reveals-americans-tend-to-wait-to-last-minute-to-book-labor-day-travel
https://www.cheapair.com/blog/summer-flights/
https://mashable.com/2015/08/19/labor-day-destinations/
by California Casualty | News |
Summer is here and the moving season is on. If you are preparing for a new home or apartment you are not alone; the U.S. Census Bureau found almost 36 million people moved to a new residence between 2012 and 2013. Most wanted to find a new place to live, followed by relocation for a new job.
While it can be an exciting time – you get to pick the paint colors you love, there is a new yard to plan and you finally get that extra room you always wanted – preparing for a moving adventure can be a stressful experience.
Here are some helpful packing tips that can make it easier:
- Open all lotions, sprays and gels and place a layer of plastic wrap over the opening before putting the cap back on to prevent messy and costly spills
- Use a garbage bag liner in a box with numerous small items that could break; it will make clean up much easier
- Put necessities in a small suitcase or tote so they will be easy to find when you arrive at the new place
- Keep clothes on hangers, zip tie them together and wrap them in plastic for easier transition into a new closet
- Put fitted sheets on both sides of a mattress to protect it
- Use plastic foam plates between breakable dinnerware for better protection than newspaper
- Turn potholders into knife holders
- Pack bottles of wine in kids pool floaties to protect them from breaking
- Use duct tape to label electrical cords with the name of the corresponding appliance for hassle free matching
- Pack books in suitcases
Mayflower.com has a list of 10 essentials most often forgotten in a move. Did you remember?
- To get copies of your family’s medical records and veterinary records for your pets, as well as copies of prescriptions you may need to transfer
- An official copy of your child’s school records (needed to enroll them into a new school)
- Valuables you had hidden around the house (jewelry, stamps, coins)
- Important phone numbers and email addresses
- The items you may have taken to the cleaners but hadn’t picked up yet (or the watch at the repair shop)
- A copy of your new address
- To leave some cleaning supplies for the after move clean up
- To leave the garage door opener – many people forget to take them out of their vehicles
- To open a checking account in your new city a month prior to the move
- To gather all the keys to the house you have hidden or given to neighbors and friends
The time of year you move can save you money. In 2014, June and August were the most popular months to move. November and December were slowest, meaning more room for price negotiation.
Keep in mind there are other expenses to consider: hotels, meals out and establishing utilities, internet and cable or satellite TV at your new location. Moving.com calculated that people spend more money during the three months around the time of their move than non-movers spend in five years. When you add it up, relocating homeowners spent as much as $10,000 on furniture and accessories, apartment dwellers around $4,000.
Insurance is also an essential part of your move! While most renters and home insurance will cover your items before and after a move, very few provide coverage while your goods are in transit. It’s recommended that you purchase insurance from a moving company to protect your items from point A to point B.
You will also need to contact your insurance representative BEFORE-hand to get the appropriate coverage when you get to your new dwelling.
Just like preparing for a move, you need to plan ahead to make sure you get the best value in protecting your home and the valuables inside. Contact a California Casualty advisor today for a homeowners or renters policy comparison or review at 1.800.800.9410 or at www.calcas.com.
Sources for this article:
https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/moving-season-2014-in-numbers
https://www.moving.com/about-us/index.asp
https://www.hampdenmoving.com/forgotten-items.html
https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/cleaning-tips/tips/a2427/packing-hacks/
