Morrow Insurance and Professional Services

Property Insurance Resources

Home Safety Resources

We realize that keeping your home and your family safe are extremely important. The following sites may provide ways to safeguard what truly matters most.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team

Recall Warnings

When it comes to your home, you are its first line of defense. Don't wait until bad weather strikes before taking the necessary steps to protect is. Find out how you can prepare your home to make it safer for you, your family, and your belongings.

The Institute for Disaster and Home Safety

Disclaimer: It is important to note that other companies or organizations may have links on The Morrow Insurance Agency website. We are not responsible for the collection, use, or security of information by the companies or organizations outside of The Morrow Insurance Agency website The Morrow Insurance Agency does not endorse products or services offered on these sites. Please read the privacy policy of Web sites reached through the use of links from The Morrow Insurance Agency Web site.

Home Inventory

No matter where you live, or what you live in, it's a good idea to keep a record of your belongings, and any items you want your policy to cover.

Record your belongings

A great way to log your belongings is to keep a photographic record. This can be a set of videos or pictures that build on your paper records like receipts and warranty information.

Then, if something happens, you will have a better record of all your stuff and help prove what you had in your home when the loss occurred.

Be sure to keep the video or pictures off premises (preferably in a safe deposit box).
Remember to update your inventory once a year, or after any major purchases for your home.

Need help?

The Insurance Information Institute now offers software that helps homeowners record information about their possessions, room-by-room.

Just go to www.KnowYourStuff.org for more information and download the software.

Owning a Home

The American dream is to own a home; however, it is not a dream to think about all the things that have to be done to keep your dream home in shape.

Whether you are buying your first home, preparing for a new child or protecting your current home, make sure you are ready to protect what matters.

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Home Protection

Disasters can occur inside and outside of the home, but there are things you can do now to help protect yourself, your family and your possessions from catastrophes.

Preventing fires

House fires in the U.S. kill more than 5,000 people every year. Most of these deaths are not from burns but from inhaling smoke and other toxic gases.

Most household fires start in the kitchen through human error - not mechanical failure of stoves or ovens. Be smart in the kitchen and work to prevent house fires.

Smoke detectors, when properly installed and maintained, are one of the best and least expensive ways to ensure your safety. In fact, you're twice as likely to survive a fire if smoke detectors are working properly in your home.

In addition to placing a smoke detector on each level of the home, you should also place a carbon monoxide detector on each level. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless poisonous gas that can kill you without warning. Changing the batteries every six months is a good idea.

Protecting your home against theft

While burglaries sometimes occur, there are precautions you can take to protect yourself and your family:
Know your neighbors. Look out for each other.
Trim your shrubbery so it doesn't cover any doors or windows.
Use deadbolt locks and secure all entries into your home. Keep doors locked while you're there.
Have a peephole in your front door, and use it.
Don't hide keys outside the house.
Mark valuable property with a code or number you would recognize.
Use timers to turn lights and radios on and off when you are on vacation, and stop newspaper and mail delivery until you return home.
Don't let strangers into your house. Always ask for proper identification.

For more crime prevention tips, visit the National Crime Prevention Council at: www.ncpc.org

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Avoiding scams and con artists

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so beware! You have to be extra careful to avoid being scammed by a con artist. For instance, steer clear of:

"Get rich quick" schemes or other scams that ask for good faith money up-front.
Unexplained bargain deals on normally costly repairs or home improvement jobs.
Investments that promise unusually large returns.
Someone claiming you owe money for an item ordered for a deceased relative.
Work-at-home scams, door-to-door sales, health insurance that duplicates existing coverage, miracle cures, glasses and hearing aids from unknown sources at bargain prices, and other similar deals.
Trips and other prizes you "won," but require you to pay some up-front money or disclose important information.

Do you know what to do if your identity is stolen?

Your identity. Your credit. Your time

When identity theft or identity fraud happens, suddenly these aren't just yours anymore. Don't spend countless hours trying to restore your credit and good name. Protect yourself with identity theft coverage from The Morrow Insurance Agency.

Child Safety at Home

You want your children to feel safe and secure at home. By picking out dangers and solving them, you can help prevent your child from being hurt or killed in your home.

Childproofing your home

Making a child feel safe and secure at home is very important. Because "childproofing" can never be 100 percent effective, it's important that you make every effort to watch your children at all times - especially around water, in the kitchen and bathroom, and wherever dangers exist.

You can reduce the potential for harm by exploring your home at the child's level - by getting down on your hands and knees and moving around the room, every room, and asking yourself what looks tempting and what's within reach (between the floor and about 40 inches above).

Also, check carpets for buried dangers like pins, coins or other things that a child could choke on.

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When can I leave my children home alone and how can I teach to be safe?

Though laws vary from state to state, the minimum age requirement for unattended children is generally 12 or 13 years of age. Don't forget, you're responsible for the well-being of your children. Make sure you're familiar with the law and your responsibilities as a parent.

If they're home alone, help them stay safe:

Post emergency numbers by all telephones:

911 for emergencies
1-800-222-1222 for the Poison Control Center
Include the numbers for the pediatrician, police, fire department, emergency medical services and a neighbor
Clearly post your home address so that parents, caregivers and children can easily tell emergency personnel how to locate the home

Keep first-aid supplies on hand

Establish house rules and make sure your child is comfortable with them. Some common guidelines:

Don't answer the door
Let the answering machine pick up the phone
No friends allowed in the house unless a parent is at home

Take a tour of your house and point out potential hazards to your child, such as electrical appliances and heating equipment. Discuss which appliances and electronic devices can and can't be used when you're not home (e.g., the microwave is OK, but the oven is not).
Make sure your child knows the location of the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Also, make sure they know your family's fire escape plan. Remind them to get out of the house immediately if an alarm goes off, and to call the fire department from a neighbor's phone.
Prepare a snack or meal for your child in advance, preferably one that does not need to be heated. If your child must use the stove or oven, remind him or her never to leave a pot unattended while cooking and to check that the stove, oven or burner is turned off when they finish.
If your child stays home alone after school, agree on a daily check-in procedure. Set a time when you'll call home or your child will call you. Tell your child how to contact you and what time you'll return home at day's end.