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Before Disaster Restoration Begins, Know What You Need to Do in the First 24 Hours
Fire

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Recovering from a fire can be a physically and mentally draining process you should take comfort knowing that ServiceMaster Advanced Restorations’s disaster restoration services will eventually get your life back to normal. But in that first 24 hours, often the hardest part is knowing where to begin and who to contact.

The First 24 Hours

Securing Yourself and the Site

Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army, to help with your immediate needs, such as:

• Temporary housing
• Food
• Medicine
• Eyeglasses
• Clothing 
• Other essential items

Contact your insurance agent/company

Cautions

Do not enter the damaged site. Fires can rekindle from hidden, smoldering remains. Normally, the Fire Department will see that utilities (water, electricity and natural gas) are either safe to use or are disconnected before they leave the site. Do not attempt to turn on utilities yourself. Be watchful for structural damage caused by the fire. Roofs and floors may be damaged and subject to collapse. Food, beverages and medicine exposed to heat, smoke, soot and water should not be consumed.

Leaving Your Home

Contact your local police department to let them know the site will be unoccupied. In some cases it may be necessary to board up openings to discourage trespassers.

Beginning immediately, save receipts for any money you spend. These receipts are important in showing the insurance company what money you have spent related to your fire loss and also for verifying losses claimed on your income tax.

If it is safe to do so, try to locate the following items:

• Identification, such as driver's licenses and Social Security cards
• Insurance information
• Medication information
• Eyeglasses, hearing aids or other prosthetic devices
• Valuables, such as credit cards, bank books, cash and jewelry

Flooding

Flooding is becoming more commonplace - and more expensive. You can't always stop it from happening but you can minimize its effects. Here are some tips to help you deal with a flood.

After the Flood

Play it safe: The dangers are not over when the water goes down. Your home’s foundation may have been weakened, the electrical system may have shorted out, and floodwaters may have left behind things that could make you sick. When in doubt, throw it out. Don’t risk injury or infection.  Remember, flood water from an external source is classified as a category 3 (black water) loss and may contain numerous contaminates.

Take Care of Yourself: First protect yourself and your family from stress, fatigue, and health hazards that follow a flood.

Give Your Home First Aid: Once it is safe to go back in, protect your home and contents from further damage.

Stop the flow of water: This may include turning off the water supply and/or contacting a plumber.

Fresh water: Remove wet pad to allow carpet to dry. Carpet that is wet from clean water can usually be dried, cleaned and relayed over new pad.

Sewer backup: Remove areas of wet pad and wet carpet, taking caution to have proper personal protection. Areas connecting to, but not wet, should not be removed at this time. The claim representative will evaluate and provide specific instructions.

Get Organized: Some things are not worth repairing and some things may be too complicated or expensive for you to do by yourself. A recovery plan can take these things into account and help you make the most of your time and money.

Dry Out Your Home: Floodwaters damage materials, leave mud, silt and unknown contaminants, and promote the growth of mold. You need to dry your home to reduce these hazards and the damage they cause. Fans may be used to facilitate drying of the structure once all damage materials are removed and the home is properly sanitized. Furniture may be moved to dry rooms once cleaned or put on blocks to keep dry, assuming they are not considered unsalvageable.

Clean Up: The walls, floors, closets, shelves, contents and any other flooded parts of your home should be thoroughly washed and disinfected.