How to Make a Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

In support of National Preparedness Month 2010, Champion is encouraging all employees to make a basic disaster supplies kit for their homes. We would like to encourage you to do the same.  It is very simple to do and could very well save your life.

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

Three-day supply of non-perishable food

One gallon of water per person, per day

Portable, battery-powered radio and extra batteries

Flashlight and extra batteries

First aid kit and manual

Sanitation and hygiene items (moist towelettes and toilet paper)

Matches and waterproof container

Whistle

Extra clothing

Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, including a can opener

Photocopies of credit and identification cards

Cash and coins

Special needs items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact lens solutions, and hearing aid batteries

Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers

Other items to meet your unique family needs

Disaster Preparedness Tips

For Families:

• Make sure your family has a plan in case of an emergency. Before an emergency happens, sit down together and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go and what you will do in an emergency.


• Determine a neighborhood meeting place, a regional meeting place and an evacuation location.

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How to Communicate With Your Insurance Company

The following is excellent advice from the organization United Policyholders. They are a consumer advocate group. This information is directly from their website www.unitedpolicyholders.com  I have highlighted some things that Champion has been telling customers for years.

Speak Up - How to communicate with your insurance company:

Effectively communicating with your insurance company is an incredibly important part of the claims process. Many insurance companies will try to handle your claim by telephone, with no records. You must make sure that everything in the claim gets documented in writing. How you communicate makes a world of difference in the amount of benefits you collect and how fast you collect them. We recommend that you:

1. Document every communication with your insurance company in a notebook or diary so you can keep track of the status of your claim.

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HAILSTORMS: What to Do Before, During & After

Hail might seem like a minor concern but it can shatter windows, leave pockmarks in siding and most importantly destroy or damage roof coverings. Here are some helpful hints to protect your home.

Before 

- If you need to re-roof select an impact-resistant roof covering. These products have passed the UL2218 impact test with a rating of Class 1 through 4. Class 4 (most resistant) has proven to be highly effective in hailstorms.

 

- Make sure your roof covering is impact-resistant. Do not rely on building codes or regulations to protect you. Look for the UL2218 label on the package and literature confirming the product has passed this test.

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Summer Fun Trivia

1. What does SPF stand for?
A. Standard Protection Factor
B. Safe Protection Factor
C. Sun Protection Factor
D. Sun Performance Factor

The correct answer is "c".

2. You won't burn if you are outside all day during the summer and...
A. sitting in the shade
B. wearing a hat, long pants and a long sleeve shirt
C. it is cloudy
D. none of the above

The correct answer is "d".

3. When should you apply sunscreen?
A. Once you are outside
B. 5-10 minutes before going outside
C. 30-45 minutes before going outside
D. 2-3 hours before going outside

The correct answer is "c".

4. Which of the following infections are more common in the summer?
A. Lyme Disease
B. Influenza
C. Tonsilitis
D. All of the above

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Meet Champion's New Marketing Rep

SuAnne Evans has joined Champion Construction Services as our newest Marketing Representative. She is a native of Atlanta, and a graduate of The University of Georgia. SuAnne is married to Craig Evans, and has two children, Scott and Shelly. Her background includes real estate sales for Prudential, pharmaceutical sales for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, and Territory Mangager for Revlon, Inc.

SuAnne is very excited about this new opportunity and is looking forward to meeting all of you!

Hurricane Preparedness Week May 23rd - 29th, 2010

How to prepare well before a hurricane hits 

Most people do not think of preparing for a hurricane until the threat is imminent. Preseason hurricane preparedness focuses on tasks that one would usually not have the time to complete once a hurricane is forecast to impact a community. These types of jobs may take days or longer to be properly prepared. Knowing how to be prepared for severe tropical weather first focuses on taking an inventory on which issues would impact your property and family. Once the inventory is taken, the items then should be prioritized as to the potential negative impact it could cause if not rectified. 

What to prepare for... 

Before knowing how to prepare for a hurricane, one needs to know what to prepare for. A hurricane brings a number of threats: high winds, storm surge, tornadoes, and flooding.

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My Personal Storm Damage Experience

The night was cold and stormy. I slept through all of it in blissful serenity and awoke the next morning to begin my daily ritual of getting ready for work.

I headed straight to the bathroom, neglecting to illuminate the path I knew by heart. As I busied myself with necessary matters of hygiene, I suddenly noticed the normal hum of the refrigerator was joined by a soft plopping noise that I could not identify. It seemed random at first but upon further observance, the plopping was rhythmic and methodical.

I listened for a moment and the source suddenly dawned on me. I hurried out of bathroom and turned on the lights to investigate and confirmed my suspicions based on a large puddle of water on the laminate flooring. I looked up at the ceiling and saw large water stains and the drywall seams were getting longer by the second.

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Grilling Safety Trivia

1. Do more home fires result from gas or charcoal grills?

The correct answer is gas grills. Although gas grills are used roughly 1.5 times as often as charcoal grills, they are involved in five times as many fires. Fire hazards are greater when a flammable or combustible gas or liquid is involved.

2. TRUE OR FALSE: The lid should always be open when lighting a gas grill.

The correct answer is “TRUE”. Always keep the lid open to prevent a flash-off from gas buildup.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: When lighting a gas grill, you should always start with the burner on high.

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Grilling Safety Tips

Summer Fire Facts

Barbecue grills caused about 900 home fires and 3,500 outdoor fires in 2002.

Half of all grill-related home fires begin on a balcony or unenclosed porch.

More U.S. fires are reported on the 4th of July than on any other day. Fireworks account for half of those fires.

In 2004, fireworks started about 1,600 structure fires.

The tip of a sparkler burns at more than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit-hot enough to cause third-degree burns.

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