October is Fire Safety Month and The Professional Insurance Agents of New York is reminding homeowners and renters that with the heating season, comes fire dangers. The trade association for independent insurance agents urges the public to take the time now to review fire safety tips with its families so it will be prepared in the event of a fire emergency. This also is a good time for people to make sure their home is insured properly – before an incident occurs.
Insurers generally recommend that people insure their home for its full replacement cost, which means it is insured under a homeowners policy for 100 percent of the cost of repairing or rebuilding it at the time it becomes necessary. “Under a standard insurance policy, personal property and possessions will be insured for their actual cash value, which is its replacement cost at the time of loss, minus depreciation of its value and any deductible applying to the policy,” says Fred Holender, president of PIANY. “In order to receive full value for property, a policy should include replacement cost coverage, which also protects from both depreciation and inflation. Keeping your homeowners or renters insurance policy up-to-date and making sure all valuables are covered is important protection for your home and property.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, a house fire occurred every 86 seconds in 2015, resulting in $14.3 billion in property damage. PIANY offers these general tips to prevent fire in people’s homes:
Every home should have working smoke detectors. Ideally, they should be placed on every floor and in every bedroom.
Check all electrical appliances, cords and outlets. Make sure they are in good condition without loose or frayed cords or plugs.
Do not run electrical cords under rugs.
Don’t let lamps and/or night-lights touch bedspreads, curtains or other fabrics.
Don’t leave the kitchen if the stove is in use. If you must leave the area, turn off the burners.
In winter, heating overtakes cooking as the main cause of house fires. A primary danger is space heaters, especially the electric ones. “Because they are small, they may seem harmless,” Holender says. “But, if placed close to furniture or curtains, they can be deadly.”
People should never leave a space heater on if they you are not in the room. Do not go to sleep with it on. Use it to warm the bedroom, but shut it off before you climb into bed, advises PIANY.
If you have a fireplace, have the chimney cleaned professionally at least once a year, and make sure it’s kept clean and covered with a screen to keep the sparks from jumping out.
Most importantly, develop and practice a “Get out, stay out” plan. “Practice fire drills at home,” says Holender. “Identify a safe family meeting spot and practice it so everyone will know what to do in the event of an actual fire in the home.By rehearsing different scenarios, your family is less likely to waste precious time trying to figure out what to do.”
Professional independent insurance agents are neighbors, friends and family to those they help to insure. Their greatest concern is for their communities and the safety of those that comprise them.
PIANY is a trade association representing professional, independent insurance agencies, brokerages and their employees throughout the state.
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