In The Good Ole Summertime
By: Alan Mani
Its summer time!!! You’re up in Greenwich or Armonk and everybody is swimming, sunbathing and grilling. Laughter is in the air and everybody is having a grand old time. Unfortunately, there is another side of that coin – one that includes storms and risks and dangers that threaten your summer fun. So how do increase your odds of this coin landing on the side of laughter and joy? You take the necessary precautions, that’s how. Allow me to give you some advice on some of the things you can do to stay safe.
Open Pools – You may not want to hear this but drowning is the leading cause of death among children under the age of 4. It is also the third leading cause of death among children overall. What can you do to prevent this? Install a 4-sided fence that is at least 5ft high. Another thing you can do is talk to your pool expert to find out which pool cover would be best suited for you.
Long branches – When you prune your trees it’s not just for the trees health or for cosmetics, it makes it a safer environment. Tree branches can obstruct visibility and when a storm comes around it can break the branches and they can fall on your car, house and power lines. Hire a professional arborist to trim your trees.
Grill Fires – How can we reduce the chances of a grill fire? All you have to do is keep the grill 10 feet away from anything flammable…easy huh!
Clogged Gutters – Doesn’t sound like a big deal but when they’re clogged they can be weighed down by water and debris and that can cause them to pull away from their attachments. This creates opportunities for ants, mosquitoes, and rodents to enter your home. Cleaning your gutters out twice a year is what’s recommended.
As much as we at Levitt-Fuirst are in the business of providing insurance for the protection of your home, valuables and life, we also want to promote prevention of loss, which is why we offer tips on both. If, with a few small preventative measures, you can save yourself from a loss – why not try it. Don’t think of it as an either/or proposition – “If I do these preventative measures then I don’t need insurance, or if I have insurance then I don’t have to prevent accidents” – think of it as a symbiotic relationship. They can coexist peacefully all under one roof – prevention AND protection. But Protection likes cheese on his burger.