Summertime Heat in the Lehigh Valley

7/7/2020 (Permalink)

It’s the best time of the year... SUMMERTIME! While we lounge by the pool, enjoy a week at the beach, or play in the yard with our kids, we aren’t focusing on the real issue… the heat. In an average year, the Lehigh Valley will see its first 90-degree day around May 30, and its last around August 27. Highs here have broken 90 as early as April 7 and as late as October 8. So far in 2020, the warmest the Lehigh Valley has been is 91 degrees, a mark we have closely approached at least three times in the last two months, last checked July 2020. 

Here are some tips and tricks to beat the heat:

• Drink plenty of water! The average person should be drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, which equals about 2 liters. This is known as the 8x8 rule. 
• Find ways to cool off! Whether it’s jumping into a pool or running into the nearest building with air conditioning; find a way to cool your body off from the blazing heat. If you know you’re going to be out in the heat for a while, make sure you are taking breaks to cool off quick. 
• Wear light-weight/ light-colored clothing! Something made of cotton is best. This will help avoid heat-related illnesses. 
• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities during a hot day.

Here are some known symptoms of heat exhaustion: 

• heavy breathing 
• sweating
• headache
• dizziness 
• nausea
• rapid heartbeat 
• skin feels cool and moist 
• muscle cramps

If you are suspicious of heat exhaustion, try to move to a cooler location, apply cool wet clothes to your body, and drink water. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke - call 911 if someone refuses to drink water or vomits. 

If you have any concerns when it comes to the heat, download the “OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool” app in the App Store. This app is from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and gives you the heat index for the day, temperature, humidity, and what heat related illnesses to look out for that day. 

We at SERVPRO of Easton, Bethlehem & Whitehall hope you have a safe and fun rest of your summer! Stay cool!

Summertime Heat in the Lehigh Valley

7/11/2019 (Permalink)

?It’s the best time of the year: SUMMERTIME! While we lounge by the pool, enjoy a week at the beach, or play in the yard with our kids, we aren’t focusing on the real issue… the heat.  In an average year, the Lehigh Valley will see its first 90-degree day around May 30, and its last around Aug. 27. Highs here have broken 90 as early as April 7 and as late as October 8.So far in 2019, the warmest the Lehigh Valley has been is 88degrees, a mark reached at least three times in the last two months, last checked June 2019.

?Here are some tips and tricks to beat the heat!

Here are known symptoms of heat exhaustion: heavy breathing, sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, skin that feels cool and moist, and muscle cramps. If you are suspicious of heat exhaustion, try to move to a cooler location, apply cool wet clothes to your body, and drink water. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke- call 911 if someone refuses to drink water or vomits.

?If you have any concerns when it comes to the heat; download the OSHA standard Heat Index app in the app store. This app gives you the heat index for the day, temperature, humidity, and what heat related illnesses to look out for that day.

We at SERVPRO hope you having a safe and fun rest of your summer! Stay cool!

National PrepareAthon Day - April 30th

4/30/2019 (Permalink)

NATIONAL PREPAREATHON DAY!

National PrepareAthon! Day on April 30th reminds us that crises happen suddenly. Being prepared needs to happen now, not later.

Natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and even winter storms can require us to make decisions with little to no warning. Do you have an emergency plan in place with your family in the event of an emergency situation?

HOW TO OBSERVE

Take action by visiting www.community.fema.gov to get prepared. Use #NationalPrepareAthonDay to share on social media.

Visit these sites for more information on making emergency preparedness plans:

Flood https://community.fema.gov/hazard/flood/be-smart

Hurricane https://community.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/be-smart

Storm https://community.fema.gov/hazard/winter-storm/be-smart

HISTORY

In 2014, The White House announced  America’s first National PrepareAthon! Day as part of President Barack Obama’s National Preparedness Initiative.

#NationalPrepareAthonDay #PlanAhead #EmergencyPreparedness #BetterSafeThanSorry #SERVPROEBW

Continuing Education

6/19/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Easton, Bethlehem & Whitehall focuses heavily on educating our staff on how to handle any situation, to make sure we deliver on our promise to make it “Like it never even happened." We focus on maintaining and updating our knowledge base constantly. Many professions require continuing education. Our office is proud to offer education credits to our local insurance agents and adjusters. Every month the sales team is up early cooking breakfast, prepping our classroom and greeting our attendees. Steve Davis, one of the owners of SERVPRO of Easton, Bethlehem & Whitehall, is a certified instructor. He can provide credits for our local agents and some of our classes can even accommodate agents or adjusters from New Jersey. So, if you or someone you know is looking to gain some credits soon or if you would like to visit and enjoy a great breakfast while bulking up your collection of credits. Give SERVPRO of Easton, Bethlehem & Whitehall at 800-455-9453.

If you are not an agent or an adjuster don’t feel left out. If you would like to learn more about how to handle fire, mold, or water damage, or how to take care of a bio-hazard issue talk to your local representative. We have provided several “lunch & Learns” to businesses in our local area. We have visited property managers, real estate offices, construction firms, and even school districts. We hope to hear from you soon.

Contractor Relations

5/9/2018 (Permalink)

Contractor Relations

Not long-ago contractors survived on referrals from insurance agents and claims adjusters to build their business. Smart contractors built strong relationships with agents and adjusters and maintained a level of trust with them that would keep those referrals coming in. The main things that would drive and protect these relationships were being prompt, fair and honest estimating, communication, and providing great customer service. The industry has changed dramatically over the past 20 years and for several reasons direct referrals have become a thing of the past. Because of this shift in the industry, if you are not a national name or a vendor for every third-party administrator out there, it's getting more difficult to find a consistent workflow than ever before. 

Because of the way the national contracts work, contractors end up working with independent claims adjusters or staff adjusters that are not always local. All communication is done by email and phone and the contractor is relied upon to provide accurate information to the carrier so they can settle the claim. At SERVPRO of Easton, Bethlehem & Whitehall we believe those practices that kept our referrals coming in the past are more important than ever before. If the insurance company is going to rely on us to provide them the information they need to help our customer, we have a much larger obligation in this process than before. We have to be quick, accurate, and thorough so that customer and adjuster have the information they need to keep the process moving forward. Understanding that our clients didn't plan for this project and doing everything we can to make it a smooth process for all parties is what sets us apart from the competition. 

Teaching Your Children to Handle the Unexpected

3/20/2018 (Permalink)

Teaching your children to handle the unexpected

Handling the Unexpected

It’s almost that time of year again when schools are out for summer and the kids run free. Sometimes things happen and our children are left to fend for themselves for part of the day and sometimes the entire day.  This can come with some hesitation as we allow our children to grow up and fend for themselves.  Rest assured the more that you prepare them for this phenomenon, the better off you both will be. 

Handling the Unexpected

You can feel more confident about your absence if your child learns some basic skills that might come in handy during an emergency. Organizations such as the American Red Cross offer courses in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in local places like schools, hospitals, and community centers.

Before being left home alone, your child should be able to complete certain tasks and safety precautions, such as:

• knowing when and how to call 911 and what address information to give the dispatcher
• knowing how to work the home security system, if you have one, and what to do if the alarm is accidentally set off
• locking and unlocking doors
• working the phone/cell phone (in some areas, you have to dial 1 or the area code to dial out)
• turning lights off and on
• operating the microwave

Knowing what to do if:

• there's a small fire in the kitchen
• the smoke alarm goes off
• there’s severe weather
• a stranger comes to the door
• someone calls for a parent who isn't home
• there's a power outage

Regularly discuss some emergency scenarios — ask what your child would do if, for example, he or she smelled smoke, a stranger knocked at the door, or someone called for you while you're gone.

Call SERVPRO of Easton, Bethlehem & Whitehall at 800-455-9453. We are Here to Help.