Earthquakes Occur Every Day

According to the USGS there were over 200 earthquakes in the U.S. in the last 7 days. The Magnitude of these earthquakes ranged from 2.8 to 5.3. It is important that you understand what your earthquake risk exposure actually is. While there is not an exact science to this process we have identified three areas for you to consider; risk assessment, evaluation, and treatment. This is not intended to be an all-inclusive plan, but can be a nice starting point for a more detailed review and analysis.

Assessing Your Risk

The first thing you need to do is understand earthquake risk as it relates to your buildings and property. Your location is probably the most important assessment aspect, followed by the type of construction of your buildings. You can't do a lot about your location, other than know what your earthquake risk potential is. Are you in an earthquake zone, and if so what level? Construction plays an important role in damage assessment. For example, wood frame buildings tend to do better in certain kinds of earthquakes because wood frame buildings will give and take with the earth's movement. Steel frame buildings bend but don't go back, thus causing greater potential damage possibilities. Another assessment question would be does your building have any earthquake retrofitting? 

Evaluating Your Risk

It is important to evaluate what your potential loss might be, based on your assessment. A frame building in a low earthquake zone might be evaluated at a low to med risk. A class "A" 10 story steel frame building in Vancouver might be evaluated as high risk.

Treat Your Risk (Consider Insurance)

The final stage is to create actions based on your assessment and evaluation. If you determine you had a high risk exposure, you may decide to purchase earthquake insurance with limits up to your total insurable value, if you felt that the risk from a quake was on the lower end you may decide on some other level of insurance. The amount of your deductibles may also be impacted on your assessment and evaluation of your risk. For example, you might take a higher deductible if your risk was lower.

Columbia River Insurance Services has access to markets that can provide competitive products. Please call me today for a review and quote.

Barbecue Safety Tips

Fire up the grill, bring on the steak, it is time to barbecue. You might think you know all you need to know about BBQ safety and grilling. But why don't you review this page, just to make sure. We want your BBQ experience to be fun and safe for the entire family. On average there are over 9,000 home fires annually directly related to barbecuing. According to the National Fire Prevention Association; 16,000 people went to the emergency room and there was $80 million in property damage in 2011 associated with barbecuing.

General Safety 

• Never BBQ inside, in a garage, on the roof or on a second story deck
• Never leave your grill unattended
• If you're using a charcoal grill, let the lighter fluid soak into the coals a few
  minutes before lighting them so that any vapors have time to evaporate. When you do light the coals, stand back
• Open the grill lid before you light it
• Don't wear loose fitting clothing
• Keep a fire extinguisher outside or close by
• Make sure you use the grill 10 feet away from your house
• Have the BBQ close to a water source
• Don't let raw meat sit out long without being chilled or cooked
• Always wash your hands before and after handling food
• Don't over indulge in alcohol while barbecuing
• Let the grill cool down before you store or cover it

Gas Grills 

• Before having an LP cylinder filled, check it for dents, gouges or other signs of disrepair
• If you have a gas grill, make sure the connections from the propane tank to the grill are tight
• Use porcelain rocks instead of lava rocks. Lava rocks are porous and can hold grease which can catch fire at worse and make for an uneven heating surface at best
• When you turn off a gas grill, remember to turn off the propane tank too

Always make sure that the barbecue is in a safe place, where children and pets won't touch or bump into it.  Remember that the barbecue will still be hot even after you finish cooking, anyone contacting the barbecue could be burned. Make sure your home owner's policy is up to date. Call me for a free review.