by California Casualty | Homeowners Insurance Info |
There’s no better feeling than finally get your holiday gift buying done. It’s such a sense of accomplishment and you can’t wait to see the beaming faces of friends and loved ones opening their special presents. However, if you’re not careful you might also be is advertising that bounty to crooks and thieves who are looking to take it from you.
Nothing steals the joy of the season like a holiday home burglary. Unfortunately, the FBI warns that they increase during the holidays with nearly 400,000 break-ins occurring during November and December. Most of those are crimes of opportunity from criminals looking for an easy target.
Here are things you can do to reduce your risk of being a victim:
Make your home less vulnerable
- Trim back bushes or hedges that block visibility and give thieves areas to hide
- Install outdoor lighting (motion sensitive are best)
- Put indoor lights on timers
- Have a security system installed
- Get a dog (crooks say a barking dog is a huge deterrent)
- Keep garage doors closed
- Always lock doors and windows
- Keep watch of your neighbors’ homes and ask they do the same for you
Don’t advertise to criminals
- Stop mail and newspaper deliveries if you are going away
- Arrange for your neighbors to accept any home deliveries when you are not home
- Don’t leave garbage cans out while you are away
- Never leave notes on doors telling someone you are out and when you will return
- Do leave a radio or TV on while you are away
- Have a trusted friend, neighbor or relative make trips to your home or park a car in the driveway to make it look lived in while you are away
- Conceal valuables and don’t leave Christmas trees and presents visible from the outside
- Break down and conceal boxes for expensive items and electronics when putting out the trash (boxes for the new 60” HD TV or the latest computer are like shopping flyers for thieves)
- Don’t advertise on social media that you are going away to grandma’s house or on a wonderful vacation (this also applies to your children)
Protect yourself
- Make a complete home inventory of your possessions to assist if you need to file a police report, help speed up an insurance claim and help with a tax-loss write off
- Be sure to have an identity theft protection and recovery service if burglars get access to your personal or banking information
- Protect your possessions with homeowners or renters insurance
Not only do you feel violated after someone breaks into your home, but it can be expensive to fix the damage and replace items. That’s why you need homeowners and renters insurance. We can’t stop all criminals, but California Casualty is here to protect you with quality auto and home insurance with exclusive benefits not available to the general public. Every policy also comes with free ID theft protection. Call an advisor today for a policy comparison or review at 1.800.800.9410, or visit www.calcas.com.
Sources for this article:
https://www.crimepreventiontips.org/home-safety
https://www.mariettaga.gov/city/police/getinvolved/burglary-prevention
https://www.iii.org/press-release/vacation-bound-use-these-five-prevention-tips-to-protect-your-home-against-burglars-while-youre-away-070312
https://www.lapdonline.org/crime_prevention/content_basic_view/1376
https://www.supercircuits.com/resources/blog/burglary-prevention-tips-for-the-holidays
by California Casualty | Homeowners Insurance Info |
Fall is my favorite time of year; the air turns crisp and cool, the leaves change brilliant colors and it’s a nice breather before winter sends its icy grip. As the days grow shorter and the leaves fall, it’s the perfect time to look around your home and get prepared for winter. Fall’s mild temperatures and adequate daylight provides an opportunity to check the heater, repair gutters and add extra insulation to the attic. An early autumn storm or blizzard is no time to learn you have leaks or other problems.
The Insurance Information Institute estimates that winter-related damage causes over a billion dollars in insurance losses annually. Prevent your home from being a statistic; use this checklist to make sure it’s ready for the onslaught of winter:
- Have your heating system checked and cleaned
- Inspect ceilings, windows and outer walls for cracks
- Change air filters
- Check your pipes and plumbing
- Inspect your roof for wear or damage and clean the gutters
- Install weather stripping and caulk around windows and doors
- Seal up foundation and driveway cracks
- Check your fireplace and chimney for cracks or leaks
Look around your deck or patio and yard; now is the time to clean and store seasonal outdoor furniture and flower pots, drain sprinkler systems, trim trees and shrubs, fertilize lawns and mulch gardens. Don’t forget to service the snow blower and lawn mower while you are at it.
You also need to make sure your home is fire safe and you check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; the National Fire Protection Association warns that home fires and carbon monoxide poisonings climb during the fall and winter months. They recommend:
- Installing smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on all levels of the home
- Installing carbon monoxide detectors in a central location outside each sleeping area and on all levels of the home
- Testing all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replacing the batteries once a year (fall is the preferred time)
- Having heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional
- Keeping any flammable material at least three feet from heat sources
- Checking fire extinguishers
- Knowing and practicing home escape routes
A vital preparation for any season is to review and understand your homeowners or renters insurance policy. Contact a California Casualty advisor today for a free, no hassle insurance policy review and comparison at 1.800.800.9410. You may also find you qualify for significant discounts and better coverage.
And, don’t forget your cars and trucks. For tips to make sure your vehicle is prepared for winter please visit https://mycalcas.com/2012/11/preparing-your-car-for-winter/.
Sources for this article:
https://www.resnet.us/library/preparing-your-home-for-fall/
https://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/safety-tip-sheets
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/winter-storms
https://www.naic.org/documents/consumer_guide_home_booklet.pdf
by California Casualty | News |
Thanksgiving is the time we should pause and be thankful for so many things. While most of think of our jobs, families and our health, we might forget about other things in our lives we might want to give “thankful” shout-outs for:
- Netflix and Hulu for saving me from having to purchase a DVR and entertaining me on really boring weekends and nights
- Phone navigation apps that have helped me find the right route and places when traveling to a new city, but also led me onto the wrong direction of a one-way street
- Costco for all the industrial sized coffee (and dark chocolate pumpkin seed bark) to keep me amped up til next year
- This year’s college and professional football that is testing how well my blood pressure medicine is really working
- Gas prices under $2 a gallon (I filled up the other day for $24)
- The presidential race for a lot of laughs and occasional groans
- Lip balm
- Twitter for reducing everything to 140 characters and helping my ADHD
- For the companies and stores who won’t be open on Thanksgiving (and for the few who will be closed on Black Friday)
- Jimmy Fallon’s Friday thank you notes
- Drones for new perspectives on the world around us (and peeks into my neighbor’s yard)
- The Internet (specifically Facebook) for finding a way to capture so much of my valuable time
- Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone for making old guys like me seem cool and relevant
What are you thankful for this year? We’d like to see. Have a little fun and share your off-the-wall appreciation with us.
One thing educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses can be thankful for is a company like California Casualty which offers auto and home insurance with exclusive benefits tailored to your profession. Learn what benefits you qualify for by calling one of our advisors today for a free policy comparison or review at 1.800.800.9410 or visit www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Homeowners Insurance Info |
We all love the wonderful aroma of baking pies and roasting turkeys; however, preparing the Thanksgiving meal can be a dangerous time. The National Fire Protection Association is reminding everyone to be especially careful because Thanksgiving is the number one day for home cooking fires in the United States, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
Unattended cooking was the leading factor in these fires, and cooking equipment was the leading cause of home fires that caused burns and injuries.
So as you begin preparing that mouth-watering meal for your friends and loved ones, here are some simple tips to keep everyone safe and the holiday meal a success:
- Always stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop to keep an eye on the food
- Don’t leave home while cooking your turkey and check it frequently
- Remove any loose fitting clothing or dangling sleeves
- Make sure plastic bags, paper towels, oven mitts and other combustibles are away from open flames and heat sources
- Keep children at least three feet away from stoves
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids that can cause serious burns
- Keep floors clear and clean so you don’t slip or trip
- Keep knives out of the reach of children
- Never leave children alone with or in reach of candles, lighters or matches
- Have a fire extinguisher available
- Make sure that your smoke alarms are working properly
One of the more dangerous turkey cooking methods is deep fat frying; while it can provide a super succulent bird, fire agencies warn it can cause burns and eruptive fires. In fact, UL testing labs does not certify any home deep fat fryers. If you decide to use this method, the Butterball Turkey Hotline has very specific instructions to reduce the risk of fire or injury.
Also, on this holiday, don’t forget to thank our emergency personnel: firefighters, law enforcement officers and nurses who will be working, offering protection and comfort. California Casualty wishes everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. We are here to protect your auto and home from fire and other dangers with insurance specifically tailored for law enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses and educators. Learn more at www.calcas.com or call one of our advisors at 1.800.800.9410.
Sources for this article:
https://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/seasonal/thanksgiving-safety
https://www.redcross.org/news/article/Cooking-Safety-Tips-for-Thanksgiving-Chefs
https://www.butterball.com/how-tos/deep-fry-a-turkey
https://www.nachi.org/deep-fryer-inspection.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yObDuYTfudY
by California Casualty | Firefighters, Peace Officers |
Have you ever stood on the side of a busy road or highway? It can be a bit intimidating as traffic roars by; you can feel the wind of speeding cars and trucks and the sting from dust and pebbles thrown as they fly past. Now imagine that you are a first responder, law enforcement officer or maintenance worker trying to do a job, often just off of or in busy lanes of traffic.
Every day the people who protect us put their safety and lives on the line when they get out of their vehicles to help a stranded motorist, block a lane of traffic, clear up debris or provide first aid to someone hurt in a crash. This should be a reminder that we all need to be more careful as we drive along the byways and highways on our daily commutes or while on a special trip. Over the next hill or around the next curve could be an unexpected situation with a first responder or law enforcement officer who might be in a vulnerable situation while trying to help others.
Just such a situation recently turned deadly for 33 year old Colorado State Trooper Jamie Jursevics who was hit and killed while assisting people involved in a crash off I-25. Another driver, who has been charged with driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter, slammed into Trooper Jursevics. She died at the scene leaving behind a husband and an eight month old daughter.
The pain that Jursevics’ family is enduring is felt by hundreds of others every year. The National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund reports that between 2005 and 2014, 134 officers died after being struck by a vehicle. In addition, hundreds of highway construction and maintenance workers were also struck and killed while on the job.
We all owe the men and women who keep our roads safe our undivided attention. This means not being distracted by cell phones or other electronic devices, never driving while overly tired or after consuming alcohol or taking certain prescription drugs, and slowing down when we see emergency vehicle lights either in traffic or off to the side of the road. It’s hard to imagine the horror of being distracted and causing injuries or death.
That’s why all 50 states now have Move Over laws on the books, to try and protect the men and women who protect us. Move Over laws require motorists to slow down, change lanes or move over as far as possible when approaching an emergency vehicle. More of us need to be informed about those laws, though; with surveys showing that 71 percent of Americans still have not heard of Move Over laws.
The American Safety Council reminds us to be extra vigilant when we see an emergency vehicle and to:
- Pull as far to the right as possible to let them pass
- Stay at least 500 feet behind them
- Move as far over as possible when nearing a stopped emergency vehicle with lights activated and slow to a speed not more than 20 miles less than the posted speed limit
The men and women who swear to serve and protect us, as well as ambulance drivers, tow truck operators and construction workers deserve all the extra safety we can give them.
