How To Prepare Your Family For Hurricane Season

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How To Prepare Your Family For Hurricane Season Bergen County NJ

prepare for hurricane season in Bergen County NJ

Hurricanes can be one of the most damaging events that your family can face. To keep your family and home as safe as possible in these intense weather conditions, it is important to take steps to prepare for hurricane season in Bergen County NJ, and the surrounding areas.

Preparing for the unexpected takes some thinking ahead, and taking action even though these problems may never (and hopefully will not) arise. It’s unfortunately more likely than not that your family will not be all in one spot when disaster strikes. You need to come up with a plan so that you can find each other in an emergency situation, and be sure that all safety measures are covered.

15 Things You Can Do To Prepare For Hurricane Season In Bergen County NJ

  1. Post emergency telephone numbers by the phone.
  2. Install safety features in your house, such as smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
  3. Inspect your home for items that can move, fall, break or catch fire and correct them.
  4. Have your family learn basic safety measures, such as CPR and first aid, how to use a fire extinguisher, and how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity in your home.
  5. Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local emergency number.
  6. Keep enough supplies in your home for at least 3 days.
  7. Assemble an emergency supplies kit. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers, such as backpacks or duffle bags.
  8. Keep important documents in a waterproof container.  
  9. Keep a smaller emergency supplies kit in the trunk of your car.
  10. Practice and maintain your plan. Ensure your family knows meeting places, phone numbers and safety rules. Conduct drills.
  11. Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries at least once each year.
  12. Replace stored water and food every 6 months.
  13. Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer’s instructions.
  14. Pick two places to meet: a spot outside your home for an emergency, such as fire, and a place away from your neighborhood in case you can’t return home.
  15. Choose an out of state friend as your family’s point of contact for everyone to call if the family gets separated.

You can never be over prepared when it comes to a potentially dangerous situation like a hurricane. Taking the time now to prepare can save you money, grief and possibly even save lives. So prepare your family for hurricane season today. Don’t put it off. The day may come where you will be very thankful that you did.

Fire Prevention Tips For Parents

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Fire Prevention Tips For Parents Bergen County NJ

Fire Prevention Tips For Parents Bergen County NJ | Bogle Agency InsuranceIt’s not pleasant to think or talk about, but it is a sad truth that children under the age of 5 are two times as likely to die in a fire than anyone else. Each year thousands of young children are killed in fires. To add to the tragedy even further, many of these fires could have been prevented. At Bogle Agency Insurance we feel it is important to pass along these fire prevention tips for parents to our NJ clients.

The leading cause of fire-related deaths for young children under the age of five are matches and lighters. Toddlers, and their tendency to play with these items are unfortunately responsible for a large amount of firesi the US and even in Bergen County, NJ. Toddlers have a natural curiosity about fire and they have a surprising ability to competently strike matches and start lighters.

What You Can Do To Prevent Fires In Your NJ Home:

  • Store all matches, lighters and and fire starters out of reach and out of sight of children. If possible lock them up in a cabinet. This goes for child-resistant items as well. They are not truly childproof.
  • Teach small children to tell you whenever they find a match or a lighter, and not to touch it
  • Explain to children that lighters and matches are for adults only.
  • Never play with matches or lighters in front of children. Teach them that they are a tool only. Remember children will imitate you!
  • Teach children good fire safety behaviors in the home regularly and stay consistent. Keep children at least 3 feet away from the stove when cooking, for example.
  • Never overload outlets in your home.
  • Have your heating systems checked regularly.

It is not something anyone ever wants to think about, but if you take some time and follow these fire prevention tips for parents, you can rest assured knowing that you have taken every step to make your home a safe and happy place.

How To Prepare For Dangerous Weather In NJ

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Prepare For Dangerous Weather In NJ

Prepare For Dangerous Weather In NJ | Bogle Agency InsuranceSpring has sprung in New Jersey, even if it doesn’t completely feel like it.  Along with spring’s swinging temperatures comes unpredictable and at times volatile weather. Thunderstorms are the biggest worry of Spring weather in NJ, and with them come high winds, lightning, and flooding.With spring weather being so unpredictable it is important to prepare for dangerous weather in NJ.

To plan for inclement weather there are several items you should have on hand to make sure you get through not only the weather itself, but any aftermath. The first important item to have on hand is a battery operated flashlight with extra batteries. No one wants to be caught in the dark if hit with a power outage. Flashlights are also much safer and will last longer than candles. Another very important item to have on hand is a battery powered NOAA Weather Radio. Make sure these items are easily accessible so you can get updates on weather conditions if power and cell service are down and do not have to fumble around in the dark if the lights are out. It’s also very wise to have a fully stocked first aid kit, 3-5 days worth of non perishable food and water, along with any necessary personal hygiene items, and blankets and sleeping bags on hand at all times.

Have A Plan

Every home should have an emergency evacuation plan written out and a copy easily accessible for each member of the family. This plan should include a map of your home and routes to safety based on different scenarios from each room in the home.

Along with an evacuation plan there should also be an easily accessible list of important telephone numbers, insurance, property and medical information. Many people choose to keep all of this information together in a binder in a safe waterproof and fireproof area in a place where it can be accessed quickly.

Talk to your family about the possibility of severe weather and go over safety plans regularly. Make sure they know where they can take proper cover in different scenarios. Make sure they know where all the emergency supplies are and that each member of the family knows how to turn off the water, gas and electricity to the house should it be necessary.

Unfortunately there is often little warning when it comes to extreme weather.  Therefor learning how to prepare for dangerous weather as much as possible ahead of time is important. Being prepared not only keeps your insurance risks lower, but it insures that your family remains safe and calm in emergency situations and in turn able to help others in need.

 

Questions To Ask When Buying Homeowners Insurance In NJ

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Questions To Ask When Buying Homeowners Insurance In NJ

Whether you are a first time home buyer in NJ or you are looking to update your current homeowners insurance policy, it is important to begin by choosing a trusted company who has a long track record of happy customers. When you choose the right company to insure your home, you can sit down and talk through all the important issues that need to be taken into consideration when covering your home. Here are important questions to ask when buying homeowners insurance.

What Is The House Worth?

First, you need to decide on the home’s insurance value. This is based on what it would cost to rebuild the house, not the market value of the house. You can work with your agent to figure this out by using tools that consider the size and building materials used in the home.

What Is My Deductible?

You will have to choose your deductible amount when choosing a homeowners policy. You can save money on premiums by choosing a higher deductible amount. This also ensures that you will not be making several small claims, keeping you a more attractive customer and lessening the chances of being dropped by the insurer. Just be sure that with a high deductible, you have an emergency fund available to cover you.

Do I Need Flood Insurance?

Flood insurance will not be covered in a standard homeowners policy. If your home is at risk of flooding, you can buy flood insurance through your homeowners insurance agent. At Bogle, we can help you acquire flood insurance. If you have a mortgage on your home, the mortgage company may require you to have flood insurance if the home is at risk. This includes many areas in New Jersey.

Are The Contents Of My Home Covered?

Homeowners insurance will automatically cover your possessions up to a percentage of your home’s insurance value. Many time this percentage will be set at 75%. So by that logic, if you are insured for $200,000 you automatically will have your possessions covered up to $150,000. There may be a lower limit for items such as jewelry. Therefore, if you have a high amount of valuables, you may want to add some additional coverage for them. To streamline a claims process, inventory the contents of your home and keep that list updated. You can do this with photos and/or videos of each room. That way, if you have an incident you will know exactly what is missing or damaged.

At Bogle Agency Insurance, we have been in business for nearly 100 years with a long track record as a trusted NJ insurance company. Contact us today to talk about your homeowner’s policies!

 

Why You Should Consider Earthquake Insurance in NJ

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Earthquake Insurance in NJ

EarthquakeIn New Jersey we worry about hurricanes, nor’easters and snow storms each and every year. Flood insurance is a must for many areas on top of your standard homeowners. However, there is one type of insurance that often gets overlooked in New Jersey. But, it was proven just this month that it is a very wise investment. If you haven’t thought about it yet, here are some reasons why you should consider earthquake insurance in NJ.

 

Earthquake Shakes NJ

It is true that roughly 81 percent of the biggest Earthquakes happen along the “Ring of Fire” which is the Pacific earthquake belt that runs up the west coast of the United States. While most of your major earthquakes occur there, that does not mean that there are not many more major and minor ones going on all over the country, and the world all the time. Just in 2011 alone there were two significant earthquakes. One centered in Virginia that cause significant damage to the Washington Monument, and one in Oklahoma that was the state’s largest quake ever recorded in modern times. And of course, NJ was shook by an earthquake just this past month centered in Bernardsville.

 

Expect The Unexpected

Most U.S. households and businesses don’t carry insurance to cover earthquake damage. And it is not covered in your standard policies in New Jersey. An earthquake is something you can’t predict and can’t prevent. Less than one percent of the people affected by the 2011 Oklahoma earthquake were insured, while half the total losses from the 2011 Virginia quake were uninsured as well. It’s not something you expect and you hope it will never happen here in NJ. But the fact is it does happen and for a minor investment you can be protected from the unexpected.

Get Covered For Earthquake Damage Now!

New Jersey residents are not covered from earthquakes, landslides and sinkholes as a part of conventional homeowners policies. Now is the time to consider adding these provisions to your policies. Bogle Agency Insurance in Lyndhurst,  New Jersey is here to help. We can guide you on making the best decisions for the safety of your home and your family.