Safety During the Holidays

When it’s the season to decorate for the holidays, you work hard to create just the right mood. Maybe you like the soft glow from candles, flames crackling in the fireplace, twinkling lights, and a tall tree loaded with ornaments. If you will plan parties and family get-togethers to celebrate the joy of the season, don’t forget to make a decorating safety list and check it twice.

Holiday Safety List Keeping the Flame
Candles and fireplaces bring light and warmth to the dark days of December. Respect the power of fire and take appropriate precautions, now and year-round.

Candles:

• Do not leave unattended

• Supervise children and pets around burning candles and put away matches or lighters

• Burn them in containers made especially for candles, and set those containers on heat-resistant surfaces

• Do not set near trees, curtains, or other combustible items

• Place candles 3" or more apart from each other

• Keep them away from drafts

• Trim wicks to ¼"

• Buy candles labeled lead-free or from U.S. manufacturers

Fireplaces:

• Have your fireplace inspected by a professional

• Clean it

• Use a screen when in use

• Don’t burn wreaths which can cause flare-ups

• Don’t burn present wrapping paper — metallic papers are toxic and some papers could float out of the chimney

Tending the Tree
Know what kind of tree to choose, and then make sure you decorate it with care. How to select and maintain a tree:

• Pick a green tree: fresh spruce and pine trees have needles that don’t break easily

• Cut off 2" from the end of the trunk

• Set the tree in a water-filled stand

• No blocking doorways or foot paths

• Place away from heat sources

• Anchor the tree so children or pets don’t knock it down

• Refill water as needed

• Use artificial trees that are labeled as fire-resistant

Tips for decorating your tree:

• Use indoor lights inside your house and outdoor lights outside

• Check that lights are in safe, working order

• Use no more than three strings of lights on a single extension cord

• Keep cords out of the way, but not under rugs where they could cause a fire or tripping hazard

• Unplug lights when you leave or go to bed

• No edible or breakable decorations on lower branches in homes with small children and pets

• Keep bells on the bottom branches to let you know if someone is in the tree

Making Merry
The celebrations with family and friends are part of what makes the season "merry." Take care so these celebrations are also safe. Cooking:

• Cook large quantities of meat for the right amount of time and at the right temperature (for advice, contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854).

• Avoid raw meat contamination of utensils and kitchen surfaces

• Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing around flames

• Don’t overload your outlets with appliances

Alcohol and Adults:

• Offer non-alcoholic choices

• Monitor guests’ conditions and provide a designated driver or a room at your house, if necessary

Supervision and Childproofing:

• Hire someone or designate a person to watch small children during get-togethers

• Keep visitors’ purses and coats away from children

• Clean-up so that children can’t get into food, alcohol, or tobacco products

United Fire & Water Now Authorized Crime Scene CleanUp Provider

United Fire & Water is a State of Louisiana Authorized Crime Scene CleanUp Provider. 

Please contact Kevin Hussey for more information.

Dehumidification & Drying

Objective -The objective of any dehumidification procedure is to reduce the moisture content - of the building air in order to draw excess water from the structure and contents and return the environment to pre-loss conditions. Key questions such as: HOW? HOW DRY? HOW MUCH? should be addressed to determine the most expeditious and cost effective solution for each situation.

There are two major methods of dehumidification - desiccant and refrigeration. In either case, a number of air movers are stationed inside the building to circulate the dry air from the dehumidifier into all areas and to speed the drying process. As much of the water saturated debris as possible (fallen ceiling tiles, boxes, ruined sheet rock, etc.) should be removed to minimize the water load on the dehumidification process.

Contrary to popular belief, a building cannot be dried too quickly. The least damage is caused when the building contents are dried as quickly as possible. The drying process is monitored by measuring the humidity ratio daily and by plotting the results on a chart. Individual items’ moisture content should be measured with appropriate instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of the process.

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Water Damage

Water damage describes a large number of possible losses caused by water intruding where it will enable attack of a material or system by destructive processes such as rotting of wood, growth, rusting of steel, de-laminating of materials such as plywood , and many, many others.

The damage may be imperceptibly slow and minor such as water spots that could eventually mar a surface, or it may be instantaneous and catastrophic such as flooding. However fast it occurs, water damage is a very major contributor to loss of property.

United Fire & Water has the resources and education to address any of these mitigating circumstances, whether it be a slow leak in a water line or hurricane damage.

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Recovering From a Fire

Recovering from a fire can be a physically and mentally draining process. The road from disaster to recovery involves important decisions that can result in unfortunate and costly detours if not carefully planned and implemented. Understanding the unique requirements of fire disaster recovery is essential. At United Fire & Water, we are experts at restoring damaged property to a pre-loss condition. Once our emergency service crew has mitigated damage and diagnosed the situation, a qualified project manager, specialized in loss recovery, will develop a customized recovery plan to restore the property quickly, efficiently, and affordably.  

Our dedicated project managers, working with qualified reconstruction specialists, evaluate structural damage to determine your reconstruction needs. Leveraging a comprehensive network of quality contractors, carpentry, drywall, flooring, and painting needs are coordinated and the property is returned to its pre-loss condition.

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