October is National Fire Prevention Month, and the perfect time to evaluate your preparedness. While most of us take the time to test smoke detectors and check batteries, there’s one critical step in fire safety that often gets overlooked—reviewing your insurance coverage to make sure that it is up to date.
Check up on things regularly! Make sure you’re keeping dryer vents clean, testing smoke detectors, inspecting your chimney, etc. Dryer vents should be cleaned professionally annually. Smoke detectors should be tested monthly, batteries replaced annually, and completely replaced about every 10 years. Pay attention to faulty chords or outlets –electrical issues can easily cause a fire. Never leave any open flame or stove unattended.
Keep your gutters and foundation clear of leaves and debris, as they can act as a powerful fuel source. Store firewood and propane far from your house.
Incorporating added safety measures can take your preparedness to the next level. Ting is a fire prevention sensor and service that uses advanced sensing technology to help protect homes from electrical fires. Once your device is connected to Wi-Fi, you can use an app on your phone to help you monitor electrical fire hazards throughout your entire electrical system. Ting will alert you and allow you to engage with a professional support team to assist you through these issues. It even notifies you about real-time severe weather warnings and power outages, and provides weekly electrical monitoring reports.
Just like your home, your insurance policy can also benefit from regular review and maintenance. You should evaluate your insurance at least annually, as well as after any significant changes to your home, assets, or lifestyle. Take a close look at your coverage limits and determine whether they continue to meet your needs or if they ought to be adjusted. Make sure you understand how your policy will address additional living expenses for things like temporary housing, food, clothing, and transportation if you are displaced from your home due to a fire. If you have any questions or concerns about your policy or if there are changes you would like to make, be sure to speak with your insurance agent. It is also a good practice to let your insurance agent know if you have any high-value items in your home such as antiques, art, collectibles, jewelry or the like, as your policy may need to be adjusted to account for such items.
Take updated photos of all your belongings, collect copies of receipts for high-value items, and have a copy of your insurance policy ready. Don’t forget to keep important government documents safe; consider storing the most important things in a fire-safe lockbox. When disaster hits, these are the last things you are going to be concerned about, so be prepared before.
It is always a good idea to be proactive when it comes to your insurance coverage, and the Cross Private Client Team is here to help. We would be pleased to answer your questions and help you explore your coverage options.
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This article is for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon or used for any particular purpose. Cross Insurance shall not be held responsible in any way for, and specifically disclaims any liability arising out of or in any way connected to, reliance on or use of any of the information contained in this article. The information contained or referenced in this article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal, insurance, accounting or other professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for the recipient obtaining such advice. The views expressed in this article are that of its author and do not necessarily represent the views of Cross Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“Cross Insurance”) or Cross Insurance’s management or shareholders.