What to Do Before a Thunderstorm

Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.

If thunder roars, go indoors" because no place outside is safe when lightning is in the area. We want everyone to stay indoors until 30 minutes have passed after they hear the last clap of thunder.

Summary of Lightning Safety Tips for Inside the Home

• Avoid contact with corded phone.
• Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. If you plan to unplug any electronic equipment, do so well before the storm arrives.
• Avoid contact with plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do not wash dishes, and do not do laundry.

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Holiday Fire Prevention

Trees

• When buying a live tree, check for freshness - green needles, trunk sticky with resin, and few lost needles when tapped on the ground.


• Never place a fresh Christmas tree next to a heat source. Heat dries out trees and makes them easier to catch on fire.


• Keep your tree stand filled with water at all times.


• When the tree gets dry, get rid of it. Look for a recycling center near you.


• Never burn a Christmas tree or its branches in a fireplace or wood stove.

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Water Damage Restoration - What's In a Name - Part I

Part I - One of the 'little things' that makes our industry and our jobs intriguing is that our customers are individual homeowners, so we have come across thousands of different first names, last names, and combinations of names. Of course, we all know some of the most common last names. Over the length of more than a decade having assisted thousands of people, these are Champion's most common customer names: Anderson 23 times, Moore 31 times, Brown 33 times, Jones 38 times, Williams 48 times (did you know that one was common?), Johnson 50 times, and the winner is Smith 70 times.

Greg Ahlstrom

"Baby It's Cold Inside"

With temperatures plummeting here in Georgia this week, a safe warm home to come home to is on everyone's mind. But if your first comment as you walk in the door is, "Baby, it's cold inside!", you may decide to add a space heater or use your fireplace to toast your cold toes. But here are a few tips from the National Fire Protection Association on using auxillary home heating equipment.

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Grease Fire Prevention - Watch What You Heat!

Grease fires occur when oil or grease type foods are heated and ignite. They happen most often when food is cooking and the cook leaves the room, becomes distracted or even forgets that the food is cooking. Such a fire can do significant damage, especially if it extends to surrounding cabinets or other combutilble items. If unnoticed, a grease fire can easily extend to a major house fire, engulfing the entire kitchen, adjacent rooms or even the attic.

What should you do if there is a kitchen fire? When if doubt, just get out. If you do vacate the house, shut the door behind you to help contain the fire. Call 911 after you leave.

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A LETTER FROM A HAPPY CUSTOMER

We recently received this letter from a very happy client.  She and her three young girls were at home when a fire started.  Needless to say she was under a lot of stress when Champion arrived to handle the repairs.  Fortunately, we were able to have her home repaired and her family moved back in their home in less than seven months.  She was very happy with the level of service she received and this is what she had to say:

To Whom It May Concern:

My “normal family life was changed by a fire that almost devoured our home on January 19, 2009.  I had no real way of knowing the far reaching effects of losing my home and the displacement of what I took for granted was our way of life for my three girls and me. On that night we were horrified as the fire engulfed our home and there was nothing we could to stop it. It was a wonderful blessing that the four of us were not injured in the fire.

I had no way of knowing what to do next. I am happy that I purchased USAA homeowner insurance. I went to the house wearing the pain from the fire in my soul the day following the fire.

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How Do I Know If I Have Hail Damage?

I can’t tell you how many times over the past few months I’ve heard that question. With recent strong thunderstorms and associated hail, our area has certainly received more than its fair share of damage, as evidenced by all of the vehicles parading around the streets advertising first one roofer then another. Many of such roofing contractors are referred to in the industry as “storm chasers”. Hail storms are closely followed by their swarm of vehicles, eagerly anticipating a quick surge of easy money. After the initial rush of activity, they disappear as quickly as they came… on to the next affected area. They leave behind them a plethora of customers who have no one to turn to when warranty issues arise. The responsibility, and the financial cost, are then up to the homeowners themselves. I’ve see this happen time and again to families in our coverage area. Alas, I digress. Back to our original question.

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Winter Fire Safety Quiz

1. Where do most fires start in the home?

A. The bedroom
B. The living room
C. The kitchen
D. The bathroom

The answer is C: 30% of house fires start in the kitchen.

2. In the United States, a home fire claims a life every _________.

A. 2 hours
B. 3 hours
C. 6 hours
D. 8 hours

The answer is B: In the United States, a home fire claims a life every 3 hours.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: Use a fire extinguisher if you have a grease fire on your stove.

The answer is FALSE: Never pour water or use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire.

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Office Email Etiquette

Within the last couple of years Champion has grown to a significantly large construction company.  This calls for more office personnel to handle all the task involved with insurance company adjusters, vendors, sub-contractors, and homeowners. With that being said, a certain amount of office etiquette should be displayed by all. Below are a few tips.

Ninety two percent of Internet users in the United States use email. That's a huge number since 73% of those living in the U.S. use the Internet (Information Please® Database, Pearson Education, Inc., 2008). Many people use email for business communications, which stresses the importance of knowing proper email etiquette. While a lot of people understand the importance of following certain rules when writing a business letter, they often forget these rules when composing an email message. Here's a refresher.

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Would YOU know what to do if you had a cooking fire in your home?

Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires in the United States.

Would YOU know what to do if you had a cooking fire in your home?

• IMMEDIATELY CALL 911


• GREASE OR OIL FIRES: Slide a pan lid over the flames to smother the fire, then turn off the heat and leave the lid in place until the pan cools. Never carry the pan outside.


• OTHER FOOD FIRES: Extinguish the fire with baking soda. Never use water or flour on cooking fires.


• BROILER OR OVEN FIRES: Keep the oven door shut and turn off the heat to smother the fire.
  
  Visit our new INFORMATION CENTER on our website for more fire safety tips and other tips and information!
  
  http://drying911.com/information-center.php