CWAFR Safety Tips

July 23, 2019

First Emergency Responses – Water and Electricity

• Do not walk in any standing water.
• If you can, shut off the water source or breakers to the electricity safely, or contact your local utility companies to shut off or repair service lines.
• Mop up or blot all standing water and moisture as completely as you can. Wipe excess water from wood furniture and remove table top items.
• Remove any undamaged items from the affected area.
• If the heat fails, and it’s below freezing, let a faucet or water supply line trickle slowly to help prevent pipes from freezing or breaking. If repairs to the heating system take more than 24 hours, drain all supply lines, water heaters and plumbing fixtures.
• Throw out any food contaminated by water contact. If the electricity is off for an extended period, discard perishable foods from your refrigerator and freezer. It only takes a couple of hours for harmful bacterial growth to start to grow and spread.
• Take a moment to inventory your property thoroughly.
• Save all your receipts to document costs related to your emergency.
• If you need to leave your home or office due to the damage, secure the premise by locking all your doors and windows and taking valuable items with you.
• Local ordinances generally require that you secure damaged premises by boarding them up.

First Emergency Responses – Smoke and Fire

• Contact your local utility companies to safely disconnect the utilities.
  Watch for any structural damage and don’t lift wet material.
• Prevent soot particles from embedding into carpets by limiting movement in the damaged area.
• Use a blow dryer or leaf blower to loosen ash and smoke particles from upholstery, drapes and carpets.
• If your carpet or upholstery are not wet after the smoke residue is removed, cover them to prevent recontamination.
• Cover heating and air conditioning vents to minimize the circulation of smoke and soot.
  Wash ash and soot off plant leaves.
• Wash pets and remove them if there appears to be any toxic hazards.
• If food, beverages or medications have been exposed to heat, smoke, soot and water, document them, then throw them away.
• Do not use any electrical equipment that is sooty or damaged.
• Do not use ordinary cleaning products on smoke or fire damaged items.
• Inventory your damaged property. When we arrive, we will thoroughly photograph the area for insurance purposes.
• Save all your receipts to document costs related to your emergency.

First Emergency Responses – Sewage and Mold

• Block off the damaged area and do not let pets or young children enter the area.
• Turn off HVAC system if there is sewage damage.
• Shut off any leaky water sources to avoid further damage. Items that could have been restored become un-restorable when mold, mildew or fungus has had a chance to develop.
• Bleach only removes the visible mold; it does not kill it. To prevent mold from re-occurring within 10-15 days, we must use our special anti-microbial solution to kill the mold.
• Save all your receipts to document costs related to your emergency.

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