Lessons Learned: Power Outage Gives Preview of Next Emergency

On September 8th, 2011, a large scale power outage cascaded from Arizona into much of Southern California, and even into parts of Mexico, and New Mexico.

Safety Kit for Emergencies 

For me, it lasted about 6 hours, for others in stretched into the next day.

Warnings of contaminated water in some parts.  Warning of power surges when everything comes back on line.  Warnings of food poisoning.  In the end, for most it was an inconvenience and an even slower commute on the way home.

Judging by the long line outside the supermarket down the street from my house, I'm guess most weren't prepared though, or at least they assumed much worse.

Fire Prevention & Safety: Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!!!

The Farmers Agents with the Platinum Elite Group wish you a happy and safe holiday weekend.

But don't let the festivities lead to tragedy.  Keep some safety precautions in mind.

4th of July Fire Safety Tips
Severe burns, amputations, blindness, and, in some cases, death are often the results of 4th of July celebrations.

For more info: www.fire.ca.gov

CAL FIRE’s Office of the State Fire Marshal has the following tips (while maybe obvious, they're not always followed):
  Always read directions.
  Always have an adult present.
  Use fireworks outdoors only.
  Never use near dry grass or other flammable materials.
  Light one at a time.
  Keep a safe distance.
  Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
  Never experiment with fireworks.

  Have a bucket of water and a hose handy.
  Never attempt to re-light or “fix” fireworks.
  Do not wear loose fitting clothing.
  Never carry fireworks in your pockets.
  Fireworks are not toys.
  Use only State Fire Marshal approved fireworks.

Remember: Parents are legally liable for any damage or injuries caused by their children using fireworks.

Of course, if an area is unsafe for fireworks, any amount of caution is not enough.  Only use fireworks in safe, legal areas (well away from brush, etc.).  Otherwise, attend a professional fireworks show.

Fire Evacuations in Los Angeles, Oct. 2008

Anyone who starts a wildfire or structure fire will also be held liable for damages and the cost of firefighting.

Alcohol is another part of celebrating that often leads to tragedy. Even if you're careful, others are not always so thoughtful.

Whether driving on a road trip, or boating, watch out for others who are distracted, or are under the influence. Often on holidays, common sense and care goes on vacation too. 

Benefit the March of Dimes While Preparing for the Next Earthquake

The recent disasters around the world are just the most recent reminders we need to prepare for the next natural disaster.

Through an affiliates agreement with "More Prepared", 10% of your purchase of emergency, survival, and camping supplies will be donated to Farmers Insurance's favorite charity, The March of Dimes.  The MOD fights for the health of premature babies.


Click this banner link:

Disaster Preparedness Videos Subtitled for the Hearing Impaired

Reprint from MarketWatch:

Farmers Insurance Produces Series of Subtitled Catastrophe Preparedness Videos for the Public

Videos are designed for hearing impaired. 

LOS ANGELES, May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Today, it is not if, but when, a major tornado, hurricane, fire, or ice storm can strike leaving you totally devastated if you aren't prepared. The question is, not if, but when a disaster strikes, will you and your family be ready to respond? 

Farmers Insurance, in an ongoing effort to provide the latest and most helpful information on preparing for disasters, offers a new series of subtitled videos that can be viewed and used as important components in disaster preparation.

"The videos can be found at http://www.farmers.com/cat_videos_eng.html notes Paul Quinn, Assistant Vice President, Claims. "The videos, all with subtitles for the hearing impaired, are filled with excellent tips on how to prepare for a disaster. The series begins with general information about disasters and what a family needs to do to prepare. Then, there are four specific disaster preparedness videos dealing with hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and ice storms. They are featured separately for maximum benefit. We urge everyone to go on the site and check these videos out."

The idea for subtitles came from Beth Fields, a Farmers agency producer in Fishers, Indiana. "She also teaches at the Indiana School for the Deaf in Indianapolis and suggested we subtitle all of our catastrophe preparedness videos for the hearing impaired," Quinn said.

Farmers Insurance Group of Companies is a leading U.S. insurer of automobiles, homes and small businesses and also provides a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 10 million households with more than 20 million individual policies across all 50 states through the efforts of over 50,000 exclusive and independent agents and nearly 24,000 employees.

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Burn Institute & Firefighters Send Burn-Injured Children to Camp

On your way to or from work Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012, you may notice a waiving Fireman.

He's collecting money for the Burn Institute to send children who are burn victims to summer camp.

Help fill his boot.

Don Swanson and Platinum Elite Marketing have been supporters of the Burn Institute and its various programs over the last few years.  Click HERE and HERE.

Click for a video on Camp Beyond the Scars.

Disaster Preparedness: Floods, Earthquakes, Fires

This week was Flood Safety Awareness Week.  March 12 to 16, 2012.  Here's a look back at last year's blog on flood safety, and general natural disaster preparedness.  Read below.


Here's our article on whether you really need flood insurance for your home.
Disaster responses from insurance companies.


Need help preparing your evacuation / disaster supply kit?  Click HERE.
Here's our blog on "Bug-Out-Bags" after the 2011 power black-out.



re-print from our blog in 2011:

Image of Flooded roads in Utah
National Geographic

The events surrounding the earthquakes in Japan followed by tsunamis remind us how quickly, and drastically, our lives in California can change in moments.

March 14-18th is Flood Safety Awareness Week. The information provided often applies to all the disasters California can face like earthquakes and wildfires, not just flood.

"Flood Safety Awareness Week, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was created to highlight the causes and consequences of flooding and educate communities on how to prepare for and protect their homes and businesses from the devastating effects of flooding." Source: http://www.floodsmart.gov/

If you're asking yourself, "Why would I worry about flood? I don't live in a high risk area."

Floodsmart.gov reminds us that "Nearly 25% of flood insurance claims come from moderate-to-low risk areas."

"But San Diego?"

Construction and development can change the natural drainage and create brand new flood risks. That's because new buildings, parking lots, and roads mean less land to absorb excess precipitation from heavy rains.

Anywhere it rains, it can flood. A flood is a general condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow. Many conditions can result in a flood: hurricanes, broken levees, melting snow as we enter spring, outdated or clogged drainage systems and rapid accumulation of rainfall.

"Just because you haven't experienced a flood in the past, doesn't mean you won't in the future. Flood risk isn't just based on history, it's also based on a number of factors: rainfall, river-flow and tidal-surge data, topography, flood-control measures, and changes due to building and development."

American Red Cross: Workplace Disaster Preparedness Lunch & Learn

Like so many of you, when the "Big" Power Outage of 2011 occurred I was at work.  Luckily, the power was back on by the next day for everyone.  For most it was only an inconvenience getting home and a great story the next day.

But, what if the power outage had been the result of a sizable earthquake?  Many of us would have been stuck at work (3:30pm), and faced an even longer commute back home than what we faced that time.  Others might be stuck at work.

What if the freeways were closed down?  We've seen that happen in the past in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.  

On Thursday, September 29th, 2011, the American Red Cross office in San Diego is hosting a "Lunch and Learn".

"We will provide you information on how to prepare your workplace for emergencies, what to do during a disaster, and how to ensure business continuity." 

Consider sending someone in your office to make sure you're all prepared, and if not, what needs to be done.

RSVP to Wilma Llano at:

(858) 309-1435,

or e-mail: wilma.llano@sdarc.org

Red Cross Headquarters (Kearny Mesa)

3950 Calle Fortunada

San Diego, Ca  92123

You bring your lunch and they'll provide snacks, drinks, and education.

Click HERE for their Website and printable materials to deal with various emergencies:

Wildfires

Fire Prevention

Power Outages

Earthquakes

Heat Waves

Pets & Disaster Safety

& many more.

See you there!

Auto Insurance: Insuring Older Cars & Your Comp Coverage

Excerpt from a blog originally from Why Platinum?

"My car's paid for.  Why insure it?"

or, "It costs more than the car's worth?"

You have to have the liability coverage, but what about the rest?

In some cases Collision Coverage is expensive relative to the benefit of insuring an older car.  But what about the Comp Coverage?  People often drop both, but they are not attached.  Comp, sometimes called "other than collision", is often an inexpensive part of the policy.

Consider keeping the "comprehensive" coverage even if you drop the "collision."

Comp (Comprehensive) Coverage covers physical damage to your car from hazards such as (but not limited to):

• Fire
• Theft, Vandalism, & Riot
• Lightning 
• Hail
• Flood
• Earthquake
• Explosions
• Damage from Contact with an Animals
• Falling Objects like Trees and Branches

These are all risks that even great drivers face since they don't always involving the skill of the driver.  They happen to the car, often when not even moving.

Animals? 

Disaster Preparedness When Space And Money Is Limited

I came across this article, and while some of it might seem extreme (with a little of humor thrown in), take a few points from the article and get better prepared for when that next emergency hits.  Don't let the lack of space in your apartment or condo keep you from getting ready.

Survive a Disaster -- in your Condo

by Donna Freedman, MSN Money

The great blizzard of 2011 closed highways, collapsed roofs and knocked out power to two-thirds of the country last February. Wonder how many people wound up fumbling for flashlight batteries and dining on dry cornflakes?

Object lesson: You need to be ready. If a natural disaster or even just a really big windstorm happened, how would you eat, drink and stay warm? And where would you go to the bathroom?

"It's just common sense to have something set aside for when you need it," says Bernie Carr, the author of "The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster."

Maybe the word "prepper" conjures up images of camo-clad guys waiting out Armageddon in rural bunkers, surrounded by ammunition and MREs. Certainly, some prepper sites toss around acronyms like BOBs ("bug-out bags") and TEOTWAWKI ("the end of the world as we know it"), and emphasize survival skills and marksmanship.

But not everyone who preps is hard-core or imagines the collapse of society -- or even lives in the country. About 60% of the visitors to Carr's website, The Apartment Prepper's Blog, live in cities or suburbs. Carr lives in Houston.

Robert Richardson, who blogs at Off-Grid Survival, says the majority of his readers are city or suburban residents, worried more about inflation than the doomsday predictions for December 2012.

"It doesn't have to be an end-of-the-world scenario. I'm talking to people who are prepping for things like job loss," says Richardson.

Preparedness isn't paranoid -- it's prudent. Just ask Uncle Sam: The Department of Homeland Security recommends having enough supplies to survive for at least three days after an emergency. And right now, while there isn't an emergency, is the time to get those supplies.

The list might seem daunting if you're living in a tight space on a tight budget. Chin up: You probably already have some of those items, and you can use frugal hacks to get the rest cheaply or maybe even for free. Here's how.

Easy does it

The American Red Cross has an even longer list of suggested emergency items. Because every family (and every disaster) is different, however, pick what works for you. You don't have to get it all at once.

Click here for the rest of the article.

The Red Cross sells ready made Emergency Kits of different sizes (and supplies) if you don't want to build your own.

Other Disaster related blogs I've written:

Maintain a defensible zone around your home 

Pet micro-chipping before disasters occur

Insurance Company Emergency Response Vehicles

Should I get Earthquake Insurance?

A look back at the Wildfires of 2007

Disaster Preparedness: Resources

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.