Posted on 12/05/2004 9:51:36 AM PST by Askel5
Having enlisted in the aftermath of 911 (during which she spent most of her daily freetime for the next year and a half attending funerals), my sister finally was tapped by the Red Cross and is now on regular assignment with the their DAT response team which attends fires and assists victims.
With these last two "Sunday Firebug Reports," I have decided renters' insurance is my first priority among bills this month. Just a friendly reminder to all those who -- like me -- don't pay as much attention to such practicalities as they should.
(I get a kick out of her reports ... trust you do too ... )
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Okay - - That's the Sunday report. One plug before I go: Be sure and tell everyone you know who doesn't own their home to GET RENTER'S INSURANCE!!! (Our second fire convinced two of the team members to check it out so I gave them USAA's info.) A few bucks out of your checking account each month is a small price to pay for peace of mind. I haven't even seen a fire yet that totalled more than a single room, with very little additional exposure and you just wouldn't believe how completely destructive it is when you take into account fire AND water AND "overhaul" (that's the damage your rescuers do coming to your aid). Some of the worst damage at the Brooklyn location was water in the apartment below, not the fire above. No matter how careful you are - - there's always your careless neighbors to consider. And for those of you who might not know it - - when the firemen arrive, God bless those boys, but they will break EVERYTHING in their path to get to the fire, break all the windows to vent the fire, rip your walls out to check for MORE fire, take out part of your ceiling if necessary then smash anything they might have missed for good measure before they head back to the truck. (Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit on that last item but having seen the immediate aftermath a few times now - - it sure looks like that's what happened). And again, today ... So, in case I hadn't emphasized it enough already - - please tell all your friends to get RENTER'S INSURANCE!!! We registered around 18 people yesterday in Queens and Manhattan, none of whom had coverage. One guy told us he'd carried it for nearly 20 years and never used it, then let it lapse recently while he was unemployed. His apartment was totaled. Really sad. Another tip: Fireproof storage if possible for important papers and/or (I do this anyway, b/c NYC is so sooty and I always have my windows open), waterproof, sealable storage options for off-season stuff, photos, permanent records . . . .things that are shoved to the backs of closets and AGAINST WALLS - - where water damage would be the worst. It'll save you hundreds and hundreds of dollars in cleaning/replacement costs and loads of heartache over stuff that can't be replaced. This fire in Manhattan started on the roof around 3:30pm and three hours later, when we finally gained access, there was still a massive WATERFALL just pouring down the elevator shaft and flooding the deli on the ground floor. It's still so incredible to me how much damage even a "small" fire can do when you take into account the water and breakage. I was talking to a friend about it - - musing that the "bare minimum" coverage I got may not be enough if I suffered a direct hit and he said he really didn't think it would take all that much to replace his stuff - - "I really don't own anything of that much value" - - which used to be my mantra as well. But stop and think about losing EVERYTHING in DECEMBER and see if just starting with the replacement of adequate cold-weather clothing doesn't give you pause. There are agencies (like the Red Cross) who will help you with the bare minimum of needs and emergency housing (3 days or so) but everything beyond "NEEDS" (computer, phone, all electronics, all but basic clothing, etc.) is up to you. The landlord at our last fire was taking residents over to his nearby apartment so I got his phone number before he disappeared, then I lost my flashlight to some resident who was given access, so since I couldn't go inside without some light, I suddenly found myself playing street-side go-between for landlord/residents/Power Company/Fire Chief and my team in the building by walkie-talkie and cell phone. The fire chief's second in command was straight out of Central Casting - - big, quiet guy who looked like he used to be a cop or an infantryman - - "O'MALLEY" emblazoned on the back of his jacket. Classic. |
In reverse order..if you have a $50,000 fire policy coverage, and your momma dies and leaves you her $40,000 antique desk, and you have it in the middle of your studio apartment amid your usual collection of drek, if the palce burns..you won't collect the $40K. Most policies have caps on values for any one particular item..unless you have an apprailsal and a rider for the item..and that costs more..
Also, many policies have specific requirements upon you to prove your losses..i.e. receipts, or pics, or a videotape..and if you do thse things..the apartment is NOT the place to keep them, obviously..a safe despoti box is best.... Also, most of these policies will only pay for fair market value, NOT replacement costs...Exacmple, you may have a 5 year old big screen TV, computer rig, stereo, bed..etc..everything was top of the line when you bought 5 years ago..say you paid $20k for all the stuff.. Everything burns totally..Today...your replacement cost might be $30k, but the value of your stuff..were you to sell it in a garage sale, might be $4k..that's what you're gonna get from the insurance company....and as for clothes...well..you'll get a pittance..
Many people think this is unfair, and to an extent it is..yet if it weren't this way, then claims experience would be much higher, and so would premiums..Covrrage would be unattainable..
..if you have a $50,000 fire policy coverage, and your momma dies and leaves you her $40,000 antique desk, and you have it in the middle of your studio apartment amid your usual collection of drek,My Great-Aunt Mamie actually, not my Momma, but I doubt it's 40K worth of desk. =)
Thanks VERY MUCH for the post, Ken5050. This is precisely what was dawning on my sister this last trip out yesterday and something I need to consider carefully since it's mostly the books on my shelves, my console Victrola, albums of bakelite and the odd antique Carnival favor brooch or turn of the century print -- some of which are indeed irreplaceable -- that would be the biggest losses for me.
She is pretty funny. I'll drop her report on the NASCAR visit to NYC in here once I get PICS and will see if I can't dig up the day the Navy Seals or somebody "took" a ship on the East River. Also a very entertaining on-the-spot eyewitness report of life in the Big Apple. When you work the overnight at Times Square to supplement your acting/singing income gleaned city-wide, you end up with some awfully strange stories, all in all. She doesn't miss much.
Actually, the term is "Salvage and Overhaul" that refers to our efforts to preserve property and limit damage after the fire is out. The task takes considerably more time than the actual extingushment of the fire and is in many cases just as dangerous. When a blaze is extinguished, the first action taken is to protect the occupant's belongings and furniture. We move them or cover furniture and other items with tarps, then start pulling ceilings to check for extension. If a thermal imaging camera is available we check for hot spots and hidden fire. There is nothing as damaging to a fire department's reputation as a "rekindle" of a fire after firefighters have left the scene. Water is removed from the building (often directed down stairs or elevator shafts) We secure valuables and assist the owners in recovering special items. Finally an assessment of the buildings structural stability is made in preparation for allowing access by the owner or tenant.
Absolute dittos on the renters insurance! When I was a landlord I had it written into my leases that a tenant would provide proof of insurance prior to occupancy.
Hey! Are you a fireman? If so ... I trust you realize my sister's comments about "overhaul" and smashing en route out the door were tongue in cheek. She has every respect for the job done.
Some of those comments may stem from a night the fire department was sent to spring her from a rehearsal hall in Hell's Kitchen or thereabouts where she'd been locked in somehow. (She'd made clear to 911 that this was NOT an emergency but they pulled up with sirens and lights blazing nonetheless ...)
By the time they'd arrived, she'd found a key she could slide under the door for them to spring her. I think she noticed some pretty glum looks on some when they weren't able to use the Jaws of Life they had in hand to peel back the metal garage door covering of her building door. =)
Regardless ... thanks very much for the correction -- I'll pass that on. Points well taken and the reply's much appreciated. It will definitely be some peace of mind to have insurance (and the smoke alarms I'll bet they want me to have as part of the deal) by the end of the month ... even if my firemen are but a block and half away.
Old New Orleans shotguns are notorious tinder boxes and the gas we use down here has resulted in some pretty spectacular explosions in the neighborhood during the 12 years or so I've been at this place.
Best regards.
I had guessed as much, my comments were for the uninformed!
Next week celebrates my 29th year in the fire service, I've had 24 years with a big city, downtown department and 5 years as chief of the combination department in the small town where I live.
I had a great visit to New Orleans in August for the IChiefs convention. I must have gained 10 pounds! LOL
Glad to hear it! Folks who fail to make the best of the cuisine down here are crazy.
I don't have the opportunities my sister does to show her appreciation but -- as a result of our conversations back in 2001/2002 -- I do my best to wreck the diets of Creole No. 9 every month or so with treats.
Walking or riding a bike everywhere I go, it's impossible not to observe them in action ...whether it's peeling folks off the banquet at Jackson Square, lifting kiddies into the cab while idling outside a stop of some sort, holding a benefit at Checkpoint bar for their former captain's family after his drowning ... just being great neighbors.
It's not just the job they do but the way they do it. Walking the one morning a month or so ago, I kept my eye on this old man -- neat khaki pants, checked shirt and a plastic Rosary round his neck -- who was listing on the edge of their truck and tracing with his finger the pattern of the bumper.
Just didn't look right and as I approached to see if he were okay or not, he gasped, and took a header straight back onto the garage floor. I banged on the door and a couple of the guys came out.
No "aw geez ... we got useless eaters collapsing on our front step now?!" but instead "Hey Pops ...you don't look so good. You been having a bad morning. Maybe we need to get you a ride ..." .... to whereve they take poor souls like him.
Nice guys. I think it's a pity I didn't spend more time giving some thought to finding a career among a certain cut of individuals. I can imagine that -- for the most part -- a job like yours is not only rewarding in many respects but a pleasure given the sort of folks who are drawn to such vocations.
Thanks for your service.
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