Fire Safety

Fire is something people think will never happen to them, until it does. You can never be too careful about proper safety in you home to help prevent fires and protect yourself in the event one does happen. When the time change happened a few weeks ago did you check your smoke detector and replace the batteries if it was a standard battery type? Its also good to note that the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Department tells us that the average smoke detector is only good about 10 years so it is a good idea to check your detector and see if its time for replacement. Check the back of the unit for its manufacturing date and if it has been 10 years don't take the chance, replace it today. You can find more great information about smoke detectors, how to select one and what to do with your old one on the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue's website.

So you think your home is safe from fire risk? No one is immune to the risk of fire but taking the proper steps can help save the life of you and your family. I've seen fire in my own home and was fortunate enough to be awake and in the room before any real damage was done. I was putting covers back on the outlets after painting the bedroom and there was a short in the wire I was unaware of. When I started to screw the plate down the wire sparked and caught fire, the electrical current short threw me half way across the room. After seeing that I was ok my husband ran to turn off the breaker and I put the fire out with an extinguisher. My next move was a call to a licensed electrician to have the wiring checked in my old home to replace that wire and any others that could be a potential hazard. If that same short had sparked while I was asleep it could have gone on to catch the wall, curtains and anything else in the area on fire. If there wasn't a smoke detector to alert me to the problem I could well have slept through it until the fire threatened my life and my ability to safely exit my home. This isn't a situation anyone should have to find themselves in.

Driving in Spring

My calendar tells me it's should be spring, but as I look out the window the weather looks anything but spring-like. Light rain and some snow forecast for the mountains make it seem more like January than April. Saturday April 5th was the last day for driving with tire studs on your car so ODOT is recommending carrying chains.
Remember wet roads can be just as dangerous as snow and ice covered roads so use care when you're out driving. An accident where you lose control is an accident that will cause an increase in your auto rates. While the police department won't issue a ticket for this type of accident doesn't mean a claim filed for repair damage isn't considered chargeable. If you're wondering if a claim would be considered your "fault" by your insurance carrier, think about it in terms of cause not fault. When two cars collide one of the vehicles is usually at fault, their actions were the cause of the accident. If it's just you and you slide off the road and damage your car; your decisions, from the speed you were driving, the road you were on, the fact that you went out at all - these were your cause of you having the accident. There was no other car or animal to cause your slide so the insurance company is going to see it as your fault.

Kimberly