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We welcome your suggestions as to how we can expand our customer care, so please feel free call or send us a fax or email. If you need supplies or service, we consider that a priority and will endeavor to meet your needs in the most expedient manner. Telephone: 818.884.8554, Fax: 818.884.6696 and Email: robbinsinsurance@attglobal.net
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Our Mission:
We believe that nothing is more important than serving the needs of our clients. We like to touch base on a regular basis so that we know what you need and how to help. We send our Client Call to you each month to let you know that your business is important to us. In every issue, we strive to find the most interesting, effective information and web-based tools for our clients.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Robbins and Staff | |
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Last month, we talked about surviving the heat and preparing for driving emergencies. Perhaps we should have included a section on wildfire precautions and protection.
In this edition of ClientCall, we'll skip the wry writ and clever segues and focus on bringing you helpful, if not life-saving, advice. It is our sincere wish that none of our clients, their families or friends find themselves in any danger while the fires rage around us. We know that Southern Californians' anticipate or confront late summer wildfires almost every year; those of us who live in or near fire zones are aware of the possibility of a fire near or around our homes (likewise, with earthquakes). Even so, the reality is far more disconcerting and dangerous if we don't take the appropriate measures to protect ourselves, loved ones and property.
This month, our InternetIntel presents information on how to prepare, what to do during and after wildfires. Some of the content might not apply to us or our neighbors (as if we have room for a 100-foot "safety zone" around our houses or apartments), however, the guidelines presented by FEMA are valid and helpful. We will give you the link to FEMA and highlight, from the FEMA site, a few actions you can take to prepare and protect yourself and your family.
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| Enterpreneur.com |
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On The Defensive
Lock up employee data, or face the consequences.
By Mark Henricks, Entrepreneur Magazine - September 2008
...Almost all states have laws that require you to notify employees if Social Security numbers, addresses and other information targeted by identity thieves may have been disclosed due to a lost laptop, misplaced backup file, hacked internal website or other leak, says Linda Foley, founder of nonprofit group Identity Theft Resource Center... click here for the full article: On The Defensive
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FEMA: How can I protect myself from wildfires?
Evacuation may be the only way to protect your family in a wildfire. Know where to go and what to bring with you. You should plan several escape routes in case roads are blocked by a wildfire.
Create Safety Zones Around Your Home:
Modify or eliminate brush, trees and other vegetation near your home. Swimming pools and patios can be a safety zone and stone walls can act as heat shields and deflect flames.
Clear all combustibles within 30 feet of any structure.
Protect Your Home
Remove debris from under sun decks and porches.
Enclose wooden stilts with non-combustible material such as concrete, brick, rock, stucco or metal. Use non-combustible patio furniture and covers.
Enclose eaves and overhangs.
Cover house vents with wire mesh.
Any attic vent, soffit vent, louver or other opening can allow embers and flaming debris to enter a home and ignite it. Cover all openings with 1/4 inch or smaller corrosion-resistant wire mesh.
Use fire resistant materials in the siding of your home, such as stucco, metal, brick, cement shingles, concrete and rock. You can treat wood siding with UL-approved fire retardant chemicals, but the treatment and protection are not permanent.
Choose safety glass for windows and sliding glass doors: windows allow radiated heat to pass through and ignite combustible materials inside. The larger the pane of glass, the more vulnerable it is to fire.
Prepare for water storage; develop an external water supply such as a small pond, well or pool.
Close outside attic, eaves and basement vents, windows, doors, pet doors, etc. Remove flammable drapes and curtains. Close all shutters, blinds or heavy non-combustible window coverings to reduce radiant heat.
Shut Off Gas
Connect garden hoses. Fill any pools, hot tubs, garbage cans, tubs or other large containers with water.
Place a ladder against the house in clear view.
Back your car into the driveway and roll up the windows.
Disconnect any automatic garage door openers so that doors can still be opened by hand if the power goes out. Close all garage doors.
Place valuable papers, mementos and anything "you can't live without" inside the car in the garage, ready for quick departure. Any pets still with you should also be put in the car.
Turn on outside lights and leave a light on in every room to make the house more visible in heavy smoke.
Leave doors and windows closed but unlocked. It may be necessary for firefighters to gain quick entry into your home to fight fire. The entire area will be isolated and patrolled by sheriff's deputies or police.
Survival in a Vehicle: Roll up windows and close air vents. Drive slowly with headlights on. Watch for other vehicles and pedestrians. Do not drive through heavy smoke.
If you have to stop, park away from the heaviest trees and brush. Turn headlights on and ignition off. Roll up windows and close air vents.
Get on the floor and cover up with a blanket or coat.
Stay in the vehicle until the main fire passes. Air currents may rock the car. Some smoke and sparks may enter the vehicle. Temperature inside will increase. Metal gas tanks and containers rarely explode.
Trapped At Home: If you do find yourself trapped by wildfire inside your home, stay inside and away from outside walls. Close doors, but leave them unlocked. Keep your entire family together and remain calm.
After the Fire: Check the roof immediately. Put out any roof fires, sparks or embers. Check the attic for hidden burning sparks.
If you have a fire, get your neighbors to help fight it. The water you put into your pool or hot tub and other containers wilt come in handy now. If the power is out, try connecting a hose to the outlet on your water heater.
For several hours after the fire, maintain a "fire watch." Re-check for smoke and sparks throughout the house. |
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In addition to the FEMA website, the following is another website you should bookmark: The California Department of Forestry & Fire home page.
If you find your home or office is in the path of a wildfire or rocked by an earthquake or some other disaster, you'll want to protect valuable papers, as well as information stored on your computer. Many companies have data storage arrangements, but some small businesses haven't taken or are financially able to take those steps. There are antivirus/antispyware products, such as Webroot (a product the ClientCall editors use on our private machines) that offer backup and storage for a small fee. You might want to look at the applications you have installed on your machines and look into other services they may offer or do an Internet search for data storage solutions.
(Your editors also use an external flash drive to store important and personal documents - anything that we want to keep safe. Flash drives are inexpensive, small and easier to carry than a laptop or desktop computer!)
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| About Us:
Kenneth Robbins Insurance Services
20501 Ventura Blvd., Suite 384
Woodland Hills, California 91364
Tel: 818.884.8554,
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