Christmas trees are a beloved holiday tradition in Circleville, Chillicothe, Ashville, Mt. Sterling and throughout the United States, but they can pose a fire risk. On average, says the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments across the country respond to more than 200 blazes related to holiday trees each year.

Despite how much we here at {agency name} support our local firefighting heroes, we hope they won’t have a reason to show up at your doorstep this holiday season. So, here are our common-sense suggestions for enjoying a Christmas tree safely:
1. If you opt for an artificial tree, be sure it has a flame retardant label or certification. If you’re picking out a live tree, forgo the one with brownish needles that are falling out – it’s too dry. Instead choose one with fresh, green needles that don’t fall out even when you shake the limb.

2. Place your live tree in water as soon as possible, using about a quart of water per each inch of stem diameter. Before you do, however, make a fresh cut from the stem bottom – straight across – to help the tree get water. Replenish the water regularly.

3. Situate the tree so you can still access the exits in the room, and keep it at least 3 feet away from open flames or heat sources, such as your fireplace or radiator.

4. Now it’s time for the best part – trimming the tree. Choose lights and other decorations labeled as flame retardant, and make sure your lights don’t have frayed or worn wires. Leaving the house or going to sleep? Be sure to unplug those lights.

5. It’s always a chore – and somewhat of a bummer – to take down the tree each year, but do so sooner rather than later, especially with a live tree. Otherwise you prolong your risk of a fire. Check for tree recycling options in your area for responsible disposal.
No matter if you trim your tree with popcorn or with heirloom ornaments, we hope it brings the magic of the season alive for you and your loved ones this year. Happy holidays from all of us at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency!

If you have questions about insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.

You’ve got an emergency plan for your family in case extreme weather or a natural disaster in Circleville, Chillicothe, Ashville or Mt. Sterling forces you to live without power, or worse, evacuate your home. (If not, learn how to create one at Ready.gov/make-a-plan.) But, what about planning for your pets?

They’re likely to be frightened and in need of some special care. Here are four tips for helping your furry friends weather an emergency:

1. Set aside emergency pet supplies. Include bottled water, medications, vet records (a boarding facility may require them), a carrier, a blanket, food and a food dish, and other items, depending on your pets’ needs. Don’t forget newspapers in case they are unable to go outside to do their business.

2. Plan for their shelter. If the safest place for you during a severe storm is the basement, then that’s the safest place for your pets, too. Don’t leave them outside or corral too many pets into a small area. Even if they typically get along, the stress of the situation may cause them to act out.

3. Identify places to go in case of evacuation. Think of hotels that accept pets, or of friends and family who are nearby. Make a list of their phone numbers and addresses, as well as those of a local boarding facility in case you need to stay in a shelter that doesn’t allow pets. Work out a buddy system with neighbors to see that animals are evacuated in the event one of you is not home.

4. Don’t let pets roam free, even after things calm down. Fences could be down, as well as power lines, and there could be other hazards on the ground. Pets may still be frightened enough to run off, so keep them close and keep an eye on them. Furthermore, changes in their environment and routine could cause them to act unexpectedly, such as going to the bathroom inside.

For more specialized or larger pets, talk to your veterinarian about their needs during an emergency. And be sure all pets have proper identification. Your current phone number and/or address in {city, state or region} should be on their collars or tags, as well as on microchips. Because, if your pets get loose, you want to find them and bring them home again.

If you have questions about insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.

Home improvement: It’s a never-ending process for many people, and for those of us who aren’t necessarily handy, it can be a hassle, too.

But there are plenty of simple maintenance tasks and other improvements you can handle to make your home safer – whether you’re handy or not. And you won’t have to break out the power tools (or any tools at all in some instances) or worry about getting in over your head.

Water Works
You need running water in your home – but not water running in your home, if you know what we mean. Even minor leaks can cause major problems, from higher water bills to damage requiring costly repairs (maybe even the kind you can’t tackle yourself). Here are some easy ways to make sure your water stays where it should:

• Check your appliances. They’re the most common source of water leaks in homes, so it’s worth taking a look at least once a year to check for problems. And the hoses that come with your washer and dishwasher can mean big trouble – they break down over time. Look for kinks and cracks, and replace if needed. Consider using reinforced hoses, too; those with steel braiding or mesh won’t hold up forever, but they’re stronger than rubber or plastic.
• Watch the pressure. Water pressure that is set too high can cause pipes, hoses and water lines to leak or burst. Inexpensive gauges are available at home-improvement stores to test your pressure.
• Consider installing water sensors. These can alert you to a leak or other problem soon after it occurs – some can even send messages to your smartphone.

Keep Your Family (and Your Guests) On Their Feet
Millions of Americans – many of them older adults – are injured in falls each year. About 2.5 million were hurt in 2013 alone, according to the National Safety Council and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Look around your home. Should you make some of these fixes?

• Reduce clutter. Everything from small pieces of furniture to area rugs can pose a hazard, so make sure they’re in appropriate places and out of the way if possible.
• Add stability to stairs. Make sure stairways have sturdy rails, and maybe even non-slip strips, particularly outdoors.
• Let there be light. It’s hard to walk safely when you can’t see obstacles or potential trouble spots. Make sure your home is well-lit, and don’t forget night lights, too.

Give Everyone Some Air
Pollution isn’t just an outside thing – the air in your home can be unhealthy, too. But helping people breathe a little easier isn’t hard when you follow these steps:

• Test the air (and your detectors). Make sure you have working carbon-monoxide and smoke detectors and test them regularly. Also, consider testing your home for radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can be dangerous over time.
• Check your filters and ducts. Keeping your furnace filter and air ducts clean will keep your air cleaner as well. And consider adding some of nature’s air filters: plants.
• Keep your home clean. Dust doesn’t just build up on the furniture – it ends up in the air as well. Regular cleaning means cleaner air (just be sure to use safe products).

Home improvement doesn’t have to mean a kitchen remodel or finishing the basement. Making your home safer, in fact, just might be the best improvement of all.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user CORGI HomePlan used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

This Fall, you might be headed out on a road trip to a state park or maybe just for a quick visit to the in-laws. But, if you lose your brakes, blow a tire or experience another unusual (but not unheard of) problem, you could be headed for trouble.

So, let’s take a look at four situations you might face and some general guidance that may help you reach your destination safely:

1. The brakes go out
Your primary concern, of course, is to work your way over to the shoulder and stop the vehicle. To do so, try to downshift smoothly through the gears, which should slow down the car. Once you’re off the road, try the emergency brake and, if needed, roll into something that will help bring you to a stop while going at a low speed. Always avoid high-speed collisions, if at all possible.

2. The accelerator sticks
Quick action may help you get things under control here. Shift into neutral, which will stop the engine from powering the wheels. Doing this allows you to retain power steering and braking ability, so you can better control the car. You can try turning off the car (which will certainly slow it down), but it will be harder to control without power.

3. A tire blows
The National Safety Commission advises drivers to not slam on the brakes. The car will want to veer toward the side of the bad tire, and braking can make it veer even more. Instead, concentrate on steering to the side of the road as you slow down gradually.

4. An animal jumps into the road
There are more than a million collisions between vehicles and wildlife each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Be mindful whenever you’re driving, especially around dawn and dusk, which are high-activity times for large animals. If you encounter a deer, moose or other animal in the road, hit your brakes and sound your horn. Try not to swerve — serious injuries and fatalities often occur when cars make extreme maneuvers to avoid animals.

We here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency hope you never encounter any of these situations. But, if you do, keep your cool and respond safely. If something does happen, we’ll be here to help you through it!

If you have questions about insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.

Your Circleville, Chillicothe, Ashville or Mt. Sterling household may be one of the millions this fall in which student athletes are dreaming of victory on their school playing fields. Of course, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency want to see them succeed, but we also want them to be safe.

So, here are seven tips for students, parents and school staff to keep in mind as the new season gets underway:

1. Start off on the right foot: All athletes need a preseason physical and should share any medical conditions, such as sickle cell trait, with coaches. And, parents, don’t forget to provide your contact information and permission for emergency medical care.
2. Think about nutrition: A healthy diet offers plenty of complex carbohydrates, plus moderate amounts of protein, salt, sugars and sodium. Keep fat, saturated fat and cholesterol to a minimum.
3. Be smart about injuries: Athletic trainers and consulting physicians, not coaches, should decide whether athletes continue playing following an injury. Athletic staff needs to know how to use defibrillators and keep them nearby during both practice and games. Finally, athletes should always speak up about and seek medical attention for such symptoms as dizziness, memory loss, lightheadedness, fatigue or imbalance after a hit in the head or a fall. In most cases, they should not rejoin practice or play that same day.

4. Maintain equipment and facilities: Helmets and pads should be properly fitted; gymnastic apparatus well-maintained. Facilities must be kept clean and checked for germs regularly.
5. Warm up, cool down: Always warm up and stretch before beginning activities. Cool down and stretch when finished, and take plenty of breaks in between.
6. Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water (costly sports drinks aren’t usually necessary) before, during and after a workout or practice.
7. Build up a heat tolerance: To avoid heat illnesses, especially in sports requiring protective equipment, start slowly and build up to more intensive training requiring the full gear.

We hope these tips help set up your student athletes for success this season. We’ll be rooting for them!

If you have questions about insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.

For many of our neighbors in Circleville, Chillicothe, Ashville or Mt. Sterling, summer means more than sunshine and vacations. It also means working in the yard – often with tools that can be dangerous if not used properly.

Each year about 400,000 people are treated for injuries from lawn and garden tools, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Don’t let your landscaping efforts land you in the hospital! Follow these handy safety tips.

Tool safety tips from the U.S. CPSC

• Dress appropriately. To protect yourself from debris when using lawn tools, wear eye protection, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, close-fitting clothes and no jewelry. Sturdy shoes are recommended, and ear plugs may be appropriate depending on how loud the device is.
• Before starting, remove objects from your work area that could cause injury or damage, such as sticks, glass or stones.
• Keep children indoors and supervised at all times when any outdoor power equipment is being used. Never let a child ride or operate a garden tractor or riding mower, even if the child is supervised. And never assume children will remain where you last saw them.
• Use extreme caution when backing up or approaching corners, shrubs and trees.
• Teenagers using power equipment should always be supervised by an adult.
• Handle gasoline carefully. Never fill tanks while machinery is on or when equipment is still hot. Of course, you should never smoke or use any type of flame around gasoline or any gasoline-powered equipment.
• Do not work with electric power tools in wet or damp conditions. For protection against electrocution, use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
  Be sure that extension cords are in good condition, are rated for outdoor use, and are the proper gauge for the electrical current capacity of the tool.

Lawn Chemical Safety Tips from Texas A&M University

• If you use chemicals to control weeds or pests in your lawn, read the product label carefully so you understand the potential effects on humans, animals and the environment. Follow all instructions.
• Keep children and animals away from the application area, and protect your skin, eyes and nose during and after application.
• Remember, use only the recommended amount. Using more of the chemical will not do a better job.
• Ask yourself if you truly need to use a general pesticide. Is there a product that will specifically treat only the problem you need to solve?

From all of us at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency, here’s to keeping both you and your lawn healthy this summer!

If you have questions about insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.

With summer in full swing, the weather is nice and the days are long — it’s the perfect time to hop on the bike and take off for a few days.

The perfect time to plan that road trip, though, is not the day before you leave. Preparation will reduce your stress level, increase safety and make the entire trip more enjoyable.

We know, it’s not as wild as just heading out with no plan whatsoever. But you’ll have plenty of fun by following these tips — and if you find yourself in a sticky situation, you’ll be ready.

Your itinerary

You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going, of course. Part of the fun of a road trip is the freedom to change it up. It’s best to come up with a general route, however, so you can do a little research on sights and attractions you may want to hit. Try motorcycleroads.us or Harley-Davidson’s ride planner.

And thanks to smartphones, you can book hotels as you go. Keep in mind that calling or booking online (even moments before you arrive) will often get you a better price than just walking in.

Your safety

As always, make sure your motorcycle is in good working condition before any trip. Regular T-CLOCS inspections will ensure that your journey doesn’t get stalled on the side of the road.

Check:

• Tires and wheels
• Controls
• Lights and electrical
• Oil and other fluids
• Chassis
• Stands

In addition to your regular gear, some essential safety items to pack include: A repair kit, your bike’s manual, maps or a GPS device, emergency flares, a first-aid kit and a list of emergency phone numbers (family members, insurance company, roadside assistance, etc.). Carry a spare key as well, or trade one with a traveling companion. You probably won’t need it, but if you do, you’ll really need it.

Your enjoyment

Road trips aren’t races — they’re meant to be relaxing and sometimes even meandering. So try not to overdo it. Have realistic expectations for the number of miles you can do each day, especially if you’re on back roads. Also be sure not to over pack; you can always do laundry on the road if needed.

Whether you’re headed around the state or across the country, here’s to a fun (and safe) journey!

If you have questions about your motorcycle insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.

The Light Side of Home Security

Leaving your lights on — is it really a good way to keep burglars away from your Circleville, Chillicothe, Ashville or Mt. Sterling home, or can it actually attract them? Or, is it just a “good” way to increase your electricity bill?

As with so many questions in life, there isn’t one “right” answer. Using lights to enhance your home security can be effective, especially as part of a larger overall strategy. With that in mind, here are five things to consider:

1. Remember that variety is key. If your exterior lights are always on, even during the day, that can be a signal to burglars that nobody is home. Otherwise, you’d probably turn off the lights after sunrise, right? Don’t leave your lights on constantly while you’re on vacation or at work. Use timers or lights that can be turned on and off remotely to create different looks.

2. Try motion-detecting lights. These allow you to leave your lights off while you’re away or asleep, but, if someone is lurking around your house, the lights will come on. This will often scare off a burglar.

3. Consider your home’s surroundings. If you have overgrown bushes or trees on your property, burglars might be able to take cover even in the light. And, if you live in a rural area, with nobody around to notice uninvited guests on your property, lights may not do much to thwart them.

4. Connect with the neighbors. Even if you do have neighbors nearby, would they know when something – or someone – was out of place? Build a relationship with them, so they’ll know when you’re at work or on vacation, and so they can tell when something doesn’t look right.

5. Switch up your interior lights. A house that’s dark inside for a few days looks unoccupied, no matter how many outside lights are on. So, remember to set timers or turn lights on in different rooms of your house occasionally as well. This can help create the illusion that someone is home.

Of course, there’s no one perfect way to keep your Circleville, Chillicothe, Ashville or Mt. Sterling home safe. The best strategies oftentimes involve a number of different deterrents. So, mix it up, with your lights and other things, to keep burglars guessing whether or not anyone’s home.

If you have questions about your homeowners insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.

Of course, because spring is a time for new beginnings, cleaning and organization around the house are very popular this time of year. If you’re ready to tackle that monumental chore, read on for some helpful information. (And if you’re so tidy and organized throughout the year that spring cleaning isn’t a big chore for you, well, keep that to yourself! Unless you want your friends and neighbors to be jealous, that is.)

Take it one room at a time. Deciding to clean or organize your entire home can quickly get overwhelming. If you focus on just one area or room, then move to another only when you’re finished, you’ll likely work more efficiently.

Follow the six-month rule. Generally, if you haven’t used something in six months (with the exception of seasonal items), it’s a good idea to consider throwing it away or donating it.

Don’t forget the kitchen. Just like other rooms, your kitchen likely has things that haven’t been used in some time — and this includes food in the refrigerator or freezer. Give those appliances a thorough cleaning and get rid of anything you won’t be eating.

Set yourself up for success. Paper clutter is something we all could probably cut back on pretty easily. Setting up a few recycling bins throughout the house gives you a convenient alternative to just setting that old magazine or paperwork down somewhere and watching the pile grow.

Make some money! Of course, the spring cleaning garage sale is a tradition for many homeowners, and can be a great way to bring in some extra income. Talk about a win-win situation — you get rid of stuff you don’t need, and someone pays you for it!

Stay safe. When you’re cleaning or maintaining your home, be mindful of the physical risks involved. Lift with your leg muscles, not your back. Avoid prolonged repetitive motions. Use ladders, lawnmowers and other dangerous tools with caution.

Contact Us!

If you have questions about your homeowners insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.

Imagine how devastating it would be to lose your home in a fire. Now imagine not being able to rebuild it completely because you didn’t have the correct amount of insurance.

Selecting the proper amount of coverage is the single most important decision you can make with your Homeowners policy. Without it, you may not have enough coverage to rebuild after a total loss. This is called “insurance to value.” Below are some explanations and tips to help you make the right choices for your needs — and remember, if you need help, we’re just a phone call away!

What is insurance to value?

Insurance to value is the relationship between the amount of coverage selected (typically listed as “Coverage A” or “Dwelling Coverage” on your policy declarations page) and the amount required to rebuild your home. Insuring your home for anything less than 100% insurance to value could mean you wouldn’t have enough coverage to replace your home in the event of a total loss

Why is the cost to rebuild different from the market value?

A home’s market value reflects current economic conditions, taxes, school districts, the value of the land and location, and other factors unrelated to construction cost. The cost to rebuild your home is based only on the cost of materials and labor in your area. It is important that you insure your home based on its reconstruction cost, NOT its current market value

Why is reconstruction more expensive than new construction?

New-home builders typically build many homes at once, and solicit bids from various sub-contractors to receive the best pricing. Their business model is based on economies of scale. For example, they may purchase 20 bathtubs at once, securing a lower unit cost. These economies of scale don’t exist when building a single home.

How can I make sure I have the correct amount of insurance?

Work with your agent to provide detailed information at time of purchase to be sure that you receive a thorough and accurate quote.

Ask us about additional coverage options that may be available.

Review your insurance to value calculation on a regular basis with your agent.

Tell your agent about any changes or improvements that you make to your home.

If you have questions about your homeowners insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Hummel and Plum Insurance Agency are happy to help. Call us at 740-477-3311.