1. The structure of your home.
2. Your personal possessions.
3. The cost of additional living expenses if your home is damaged and you have to live elsewhere during repairs.
4. Your liability to others.

Additional Living Expenses After A Disaster

Umbrella or Excess Liability

• Unplug your appliances – Unplug appliances like space heaters, coffee makers, and hair dryers. These small appliances could short out and cause a fire while you’re gone. Also, if you can, unplug any larger appliances that don’t need to stay running (like your television or, if you’ll be gone for a long period of time, your fridge).

• Finish your chores before you leave – Don’t try to cut corners and multitask when it comes to household chores. You may not even realize you’re leaving yourself open to potential damage when you start-up the dishwasher or washing machine just before you leave the house. If there’s a malfunction or a leak while you’re not there, you could be looking at some pretty extensive damage while no one is at home to do the clean up.

• Manage your thermostat to avoid frozen pipes – Don’t turn off your thermostat when you leave for vacation or for an extended period of time. If you want to conserve energy, lower it to a reasonable temperature—around 55—to avoid freezing pipes. Frozen pipes can burst, and while flooding and water damage from a burst pipe are covered perils on your homeowners policy, they also are still claims on your permanent record. Many claims like this can lead to increased premiums or even dropped coverage.

• Stop your mail and newspaper delivery – One of the oldest and most common suggestions for those heading out-of-town is to discontinue your newspaper delivery and have the post office hold your mail. Having papers and mail piling up outside your front door tells thieves that no one is home, making your property an easy target. Aside from the financial drain of replacing stolen items, burglary is emotionally scarring. No insurance policy can help alleviate the anxiety of being a victim of theft.

Decorations:

• Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree.
• Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
• Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens.
• Always use non-flammable holders and place candles where they will not be knocked down. In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
• Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass “angel hair.”
• Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.

1. Look for cracks where heat may escape around windows or doors. For cracks that lead to the outside, be sure to caulk and fill in the gaps.
2. If your windows are old, it may be time to look into energy-efficient windows. Keep in mind that there’s a tax credit of up to $1,500 right now for buying Energy Star certified products.
3. Check your roof for loose shingles; it’s better to pay for upkeep than to wait until your roof collapses under the weight of snow.
4. Change the furnace filter. This not only makes your furnace work more efficiently, but also traps more allergens and dust.
5. Clean your gutters. Gutters that are full may lead to water back-up in your home, causing deterioration, water damage and mold.
6. Make sure all water from the gutters runs away from the house by at least three to four feet. Water pooling near the base of the house may cause damage to the basement.
7. Drain and flush your hot water heater.
8. Check your basement for cracks or leaks and seal if necessary.
9. Store your lawn furniture and clean out the garage before it gets too cold for maintenance.
10. Sort through dead plants, seed your lawn and remove dead shrubbery now, so it’s not trapped near the house all winter, preventing good air flow and causing water retention.

For more information about the Grand Celebration, click here.

1. Make a list of possessions, including “celebration” purchases such as jewelry and fine art.
2. Think about family heirlooms, collections and furniture.  Also, consider items related to everyday leisure time, from flat screen TV’s to custom guitars.
3. Take note of commonplace items such as toys, CD’s and clothing.  Don’t forget items you may only use occasionally such as holiday decorations, sports equipment, tools and high ticket items kept outside your home such as landscape and swing sets.
4. Attach copies of original sales receipts and/or appraisal documents to your inventory.  Be sure to note model and serial numbers.
5. Group your possessions into logical categories, i.e. by hobby, by room in your home.
6. Carefully photography or videotape each item and document a brief description including age, purchase price and estimated current value.
7. Remember to open drawers and closets to document what’s inside.
8. Store your home inventory and related documents in a safe, easily accessible place such as a secured site/file online, a fire-proof box or in a safe deposit box.  You may want to share a copy with your agent, so the necessary updates can be made to your coverage.
9. Review and update your inventory annually and whenever you make a significant purchase.

Using our 24/7 Access, you can:

• Print a list of vehicles, drivers or certificate holders
• Obtain a Certificate of Insurance, even on weekends
• Print a copy of your commercial certificate of insurance and  Auto ID Cards at home, work, or anywhere
• Request a policy change online
• Notify us of a claim or loss by specific location or vehicle
• Get the information and services you need, when you need them, no matter where you are!

Our CSR24 Customer Care solution provides you:

•  Web-based access to your policy information
• Extended service hours and options
• Self-service – Ability to access copies and deliver insurance forms including certificates and Auto IDs
• Ability to request changes to your policy information (vehicles, drivers, equipment etc.)
• 24/7 Claims

It is important to us to be there when you need us. Time is your most valuable asset and we help you make the most of it.This “self-service” option means you can get the information and services you need – when you need them.  If you would like to learn more about this service, visit our website at www.emford.com  or call  270-926-2806 (Owensboro)  or 270-830-8877 (Henderson)

Here are a few tips to keep your ghost and goblins safe:

• Children who are younger than 12 years old should not be allowed to go trick or treating by themselves.
• Make sure the costumes are not too long, they could get caught in a car door or could trail too close to candles.
• Supervise pumpkin carving.  Or better yet, let them draw the outlines on the pumpkin and leave the carving to an adult.
• Don’t leave candles burning unattended.  Keep jack-o-lanterns away from the curtains.  Use electric lights, they give all the ghostly glow without the risk of burning the house down or igniting a costume.
• Costumes should be bright and reflective.  Pass out glow sticks or place strips of reflective tape on their costume to make sure drivers and others can spot the children in darkness.
• Test face paint before Halloween night to make sure it doesn’t irritate the skin or trigger allergies.
• Make sure store-bought costumes and accessories, such as wigs and hats, are flame retardant.  The label should clearly state this, if it doesn’t, don’t buy it.
• Have your older children carry a cell phone, in case they get lost or need assistance.
• Trick or treat at well-lit houses and remain on porches rather than entering houses.
• Be sure to examine all of your children’s treats for signs of tampering. Children should not eat homemade treats made by strangers.

Fire Safety Quiz

Fire can strike anywhere – in structures, buildings, cars and the outdoors – but fires that affect our homes are often the most tragic and the most preventable.  Over 75% of all fire fatalities occur in home fires.  Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, followed by heating. You can protect your family by:

1. Installing smoke alarms on every level of your home
2. Testing smoke alarms once a month
3. Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year
4. Making and practicing a home fire escape plan

Smoke Alarms – A smoke alarm stands guard around the clock.  When it first senses smoke, it sounds a shrill alarm.  This often allows a family the precious but limited time it takes to escape.

Residential Fire Sprinklers – Using quick response sprinklers and approved piping, homes can be built or even retrofitted to include low-cost automatic sprinkler systems connected to the water supply.

Escape Plans – Time is the biggest enemy and every second counts.  Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly.  In less than 30 seconds, a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire.

Fire Extinguishers – The use of a fire extinguisher in the hands of a trained adult can be a life and property saving tool.  A majority of adults have not had fired extinguisher training and may not know how and when to use them.

Click here to find out how to decide if and when you should use a fire extinguisher.