Dear Resident:

The Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department knows how emotionally upsetting a fire is to the owners and occupants of the premises. The difficulties associated with your loss can be minimized through quick and proper action.

The following information is provided to assist you in returning to normal as soon as possible.

ELECTRIC AND GAS SERVICE

The Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department may have turned off your electric and/or gas service for safety reasons. You can have this service restored by calling L.I.P.A. at 931-5800 for electric or gas. Damage to electrical wiring should be checked and repaired by a licensed electrician.

SECURITY

If your home is not habitable, or cannot be locked, the Nassau County Police should be notified. The Police may be contacted by calling 516- 573-6100 (1st Precinct) for those residents in Baldwin.

Also, you can call private contractors to secure your premises. Homeowners can check the Yellow Pages. We recommend that you do not use any contractor that contacts you.

FOOD, CLOTHING OR SHELTER ASSISTANCE

The American Red Cross is located at 264 Old Country Road in Mineola. They can be called at 516-747-3500. They often provide food, clothing and shelter assistance to people who have experienced fires in their homes.

INSURANCE

Your insurance company or agent should be notified of the fire as soon as possible so that a determination can be made regarding the extent of the fire, water and smoke damage to your home and its contents. It is advisable not to dispose of any debris without first checking with your insurance company.

PUBLIC ADJUSTERS

You may wish to contact a public adjuster or they may contact you. We recommend that you do not use any adjuster that contacts you. Always check with your insurance agent before signing anything.

Public Adjusters are private contractors who have no affiliation with any branch of government or the Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department. You should be suspicious of anyone, who indicates that they have been sent by the Baldwin Fire Department.

The Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department DOES NOT recommend any public adjuster. There is NO charge or fee, which you are required to pay to the Fire Department as a result of a fire. If you are requested to pay such a fee, the Baldwin Fire Department should be notified immediately at 516-223-6858. If anyone contacts you after the fire representing himself as being associated with the Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department, ask for identification and call the Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department at 516-223-6858 to confirm his or her identity.

FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

The Baldwin Fire Department does not conduct investigations as to the cause of any fire. Such investigations are the responsibility of the Nassau County Fire Commission, Office of the Fire Marshal. You can reach the Marshal's Bureau of Fire Investigation 516-292-4833.

If the Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department can be of any further assistance to You, please contact us at 516-223-6858.

The fire is out now and there are a few things you need to know. We would help you. Here is a list for you to follow:

STEP ONE: SECURING THE SITE

If you are the owner, it is your responsibility to see that all holes are covered against rain or possible entry and that the outside doors to your home can be locked or secured.

Contact your insurance agent. He or she must be notified of the fire and may also be able to help you in making immediate repairs. If you cannot reach your agent or need professional assistance in boarding up your home, a general contractor, fire damage restoration firm or fire service firm can help. Check your Yellow Pages.

If you plan to leave the fire site, try to remove any valuables remaining in the building. Do not leave until the site has been secured.

If you are a tenant, contact the resident manager, the owner or the owner's insurance agent. It is the owner's responsibility to prevent further loss to the site.

See that your personal belongs are secure either within the building or by moving them to another location, such as the home of a relative or friend.

Contact your own insurance agent to report the loss.

Contact your local disaster relief services such as the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army if you are in need of temporary housing, food, eyeglasses or medicines that were destroyed in the fire. Emergency relief is given without regard to income.

STEP TWO: CAUTIONS

Fire can rekindle from hidden smoldering remains. Be watchful for the signs of heat or smoke. Household wiring which may have been water damaged should be checked by an electrician before current is turned back on. Be watchful for structural damage caused by the fire. Roofs and floors may be weakened. Food, beverages and medicines exposed to heat, smoke or soot should be discarded. Refrigerators or freezers left unopened will hold their temperature for a short time. However, do not attempt to refreeze thawed items.

If a utility is disconnected contact the utility company or authorized service representative to have the apparatus checked for proper working order, make necessary repairs and re-institute service. Do not attempt to reconnect utilities yourself.

Beginning now, get 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 Federal Income Tax.

STEP THREE: LEAVING YOUR HOME

This may be your decision or one based on the building inspector's judgment that the residence is unsafe. Contact the local police. They will keep on eye on the property during your absence. TEMPORARY HOUSING: Local relief services, like the American Red Cross and Salvation Army, should be able to help you with temporary housing.

If you are insured under a package Homeowner's or Tenant's policy, a section of your coverage may pay for the extra costs of temporary housing such as a hotel. If you are in need of immediate funds, ask your insurance agent about how soon you might get an advance on your eventual insurance settlement.

TRY TO LOCATE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TO TAKE WITH YOU:

Identification.
Vital medicines such as insulin or blood pressure regulating drugs.
Eyeglasses, hearing aids. prosthetic devices or other personal aids.
Valuables such as credit cards, checkbooks, insurance policies, savings account books, money, jewelry and the like.

DO NOT AT THIS TIME ATTEMPT TO OPEN YOUR SAFE.

A safe involved in a fire may hold the intense heat for several hours. If the door is opened before the safe has cooled down, the entering air, combined with the high inside temperature, may cause the contents to burst into flames.

NOTIFY THE FOLLOWING PARTIES OF YOUR LOCATION:

Your insurance agent or adjuster.
Your mortgage company. Inform them also of the fire.
Your employer.
Family and friends.
Your children's schools.
Your post office. Have them either hold or forward your mail depending on the length of time you expect to be relocated.
Delivery services such as those for newspapers and milk.
Your Fire or Police Department, if the Fire is under investigation.
Utility companies. These include telephone, heat, power, water.

 

STEP FOUR: ASKING FURTHER QUESTIONS.

Do not throw away any damaged goods until after an inventory is made. All damages are taken into consideration in developing your insurance claim.

Do not contract for estimating, inventory, or repair services without first consulting your insurance agent.

AFTER THE FIRE RETURNING TO NORMAL:

These are called the indirect fire losses. Both direct and indirect fire losses may be covered by insurance. Some, if not all, of your damaged property (the direct fire loss) will be covered. The extent will depend on the type and amount of the insurance policy and the scope of coverage. Also, a portion of extra living and medical expenses (indirect fire losses) may be covered by homeowner and medical insurance's. Lost work time cannot be insured, but the financial effect may be lessened by applying sick leave or vacation time to missed hours or days. In short, the effects of a fire will most. likely cause you out of pocket.

Some of the expense's not reimbursed by insurers may be deductible on your Federal Income Tax return. For instance, portions of the actual cash value of a loss that are not reimbursed by the insurer (as might happen in a case where you did not comply with the 80 percent rule) are deductible after the first $100. Also, most monies you collect as part of disaster relief services or that are reimbursed by the insurer as additional living are not added to your income and therefore, are not taxed. Expenses and lost value due to damage must be documented by receipts and appraisals. I.R.S. Publication 547, the I.R.S. information service or an accountant can give you the details you will need. Contact your local US office for specific information.

Recovery from a fire loss may result in financial gains in some portions of the recovery picture. A gain may result when structures or contents are covered for replacement cost. When these buildings or possessions are in fact, replaced, it is likely that their current value will be greater than their depreciated value at the time of the fire. For instance, the total or near-total rebuilding of a ten-year old home with a replacement, cost of $80,000.00 gives the owner an $80,000 home current to the time's value. Immediately previous to the fire, the same home may have had a depreciated value of $60,000.00.

However, few if any owners ever realize an overall gain from a fire. Indeed, if they did this, it would undermine the basic insurance agreement. Gains realized in any one aspect of a loss are usually offset by losses not insured against or not fully reimbursed in other areas.

SALVAGE HINTS

A word of caution before you begin. Several of the cleaning mixtures described in the section contain the substance Tri-Sodium Phosphate. (This can be purchased in your hardware store under the brand names TSP and Oakite.) Tri-Sodium Phosphate is a caustic substance used commonly as a cleaning agent. It should be used with care and stored out of reach of children and pets. Wear rubber gloves when using if you have tender skin. Read the label for further information.

CLOTHING

Smoke odor and soot can sometimes be washed from clothing. The following formula will often work for clothing that can be bleached:

4-6 Tbsp. Tri-Sodium Phosphate
1 Cup Lysol or any household chlorine bleach
1 gallon of warm water
Mix well, add clothes, rinse with clear water. Dry well.

To remove mildew, wash the fresh stain with soap and warm water. Then rinse and dry in sun. If the stain has not disappeared, use lemon juice and or a diluted solution of household chlorine bleach.

Test colored garments before using any treatment.

If you are taking woolen, silk, or rayon garments to the cleaners, first remove trimmings, shoulder pads, etc. Then, if the garment is damp or wet, dry in a well-ventilated area. Shake and brush well and take the garment to the cleaners as soon as possible.

COOKING UTENSILS

Your pots, pans, flatware, etc., should be washed with soapy water, rinsed and then polished with a fine-powdered cleaner. You can polish copper and brass with special polish, salt sprinkled on a piece of lemon, or salt sprinkled on a cloth saturated with vinegar.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES

Don't use appliances that have been exposed to water or steam until you have a service representative check them. This is especially true of electrical appliances. In addition, steam can remove the lubricant from some moving parts.

If the fire department turned off your gas and power during the fire, call the electric or gas company to restore these services.

--- DO NOT TRY TO DO IT YOURSELF---

FOOD

Wash your canned goods in detergent and water. Do the same food jars. If the labels come off, be sure you mark the contents on the can or jar with a grease pencil. Do not use canned goods when cans have bulged or are dented or rusted.

If your home freezer has stopped running, you can still save the frozen food:

KEEP THE FREEZER CLOSED.

Your freezer has enough insulation to keep food frozen for at least one day. Perhaps for as long as two or three days.

MOVE YOUR FOOD To a neighbor's freezer or a rented locker. Wrap the frozen food in newspapers and blankets, or use insulted boxes.

DO NOT RE-FREEZE FOOD THAT HAS THAWED.

To remove odor from, your refrigerator or freezer wash the inside with a solution of baking soda and water, or use one cup of vinegar or household ammonia to one gallon of water. Some baking soda in an open container, or a piece of charcoal can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to absorb odor.

FLOORING AND RUGS

When water gets underneath linoleum, it can cause odors and warp the wood floor. If this happens, remove the entire sheet. If the linoleum is brittle, a heat lamp will soften it so it can be rolled up without breaking. If carefully removed, it can be re-cemented after the floor has completely dried. Small blisters in the linoleum can be punctured with a nail and re-cemented if you are careful. Dilute regular linoleum paste thin enough to go through a hand syringe and shoot adhesive through the nail hole. Weigh down the linoleum with bricks or boards.

It is usually possible to cement loose tiles of any type. Wait until the floor is completely dry before beginning.

Rugs and carpets should also be allowed to dry thoroughly. Throw rugs can cleaned by beating sweeping, or vacuuming and then shampooing. Rugs should be dried as quickly as possible. They should be laid flat and exposed to circulating warm air. A fan turned on the rugs will speed the drying. Make sure the rugs are thoroughly dry. Even though the surface seems dry, moisture remaining at the base of the tufts can quickly rot a rug. For information on cleaning and preserving carpets, call your carpet dealer or installer or qualified carpet cleaning professional.

MATTRESSES

Reconditioning an innerspring mattress at home is very difficult, if not impossible. Your mattress may be able to be renovated by a company that builds or repairs mattresses. If you must use your mattress temporarily, put it out into the sun to dry. Then cover it with rubber or plastic sheeting.

It is almost impossible to get smoke odor out of pillows. The feathers and foam retain the odor.

LEATHER AND BOOKS

Wipe leather goods with a damp cloth, then a dry cloth. Stuff purses and shoes with newspaper to retain shape. Leave suitcases open. Leather goods should be dried away from heat and sun. When leather goods are dry, clean with saddle soap. You can use steel wool or a suede brush on suede. Rinse leather and suede jackets in cold water and dry away from heat and sun.

Wet books must be taken care of as soon as possible. The best method to save wet books is to freeze them in a vacuum freezer. This special freezer will remove the moisture without damaging the pages.

If there will be a delay in locating such a freezer, place them in a normal freezer until a vacuum freezer can be located.

A local librarian can also be a good resource.

LOCKS AND HINGES

Locks, especially iron locks, should be taken apart, wiped with kerosene, and oiled. If locks cannot be removed, squirt machine oil through a bolt opening or keyhole, and work the knob to distribute the oil. Hinges should also be thoroughly cleaned and oiled.

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