When we leave... what do you do next?

Transcription

1 When we leave... what do you do next?

2 Introduction Fire and flooding can be traumatic and stressful. You can get free practical help and advice from The British Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support Service (FESS). Your firefighters might request this on your behalf, or you can ring (24 hours) to request it yourself. This booklet contains information and advice to help you with some of the issues you may face after the firefighters leave. Some of the advice in this booklet requires that you use the internet or a telephone directory. Your local library will give you free access to both if you are unable to access them in your circumstances. Help to prevent something like this happening again. Call to find out if you qualify for a free home safety check. If you don t, we will tell you where to find further advice on safety measures you can put in place yourself. Contents Safety Accommodation Security Gas, water and electricity Insurance Replacing important documents Useful contacts After a property fire 9 After a chimney fire 10 After a vehicle fire 10 After flooding

3 First things first Safety Do not re-enter a building until you have been told by your firefighters or emergency planning officer that it is safe to do so. You will be advised of any apparent defects. In cases of severe structural damage, a local authority building inspector may be needed to advise on the safety of the building. Accommodation Immediately after an incident in your home, the British Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support Service will be able to provide shelter, clothing, food and refreshments amongst other practical things. In the longer term, if you cannot live in your home and you can t stay with relatives or friends, your local council s housing department might be able to provide you with temporary emergency accommodation. Alternatively, your insurance company may cover the cost of bed and breakfast or hotel accommodation. For tenants, your landlord or local housing office may also be able to help. Security The property becomes your responsibility again when the firefighters leave. If you can t stay in your home, ensure all the windows and doors are locked, where possible, before leaving. If any doors or windows cannot be locked, arrange for them to be boarded up by a glazier, either using a telephone directory or though your housing office or landlord. Your insurance company will usually pay for this. Let your local police station know that your property will be empty. Gas, water and electricity The gas, water and electricity supplies to your home may have been turned off. Do not turn them back on until they have been checked by the provider or a qualified person. If you rent your property, this can be arranged by your landlord or housing office, or details of technicians can be found in the telephone directory. Do not use any electrical appliances that have come into contact with fire or water until they have been checked and cleared for use by a qualified electrician. REMEMBER! Do not use gas, water and electricity supplies until they have been checked by a qualified person

4 Insurance If you are insured, contact your insurance company as soon as possible. You can ask them for advice on drying out, clearing and cleaning, and they may have a list of companies they deal with to help you. Although your insurers may suggest companies to carry out any restoration work, you can choose a specialist company to help you. These companies advertise in the telephone directory under Fire and Flood Restoration or you can search for them on the internet. Contents insurance policies cover items that you can easily take with you when you move (furniture, carpets, curtains etc). The buildings policy covers the structure of the building and items fixed to the structure (boilers, fitted kitchens etc). REMEMBER! List everything that has been damaged, including brands and where and when they were bought. Most companies will be able to give you an emergency payment to cover everyday items such as clothing. This will be taken off the final settlement. As soon as you can, make a list of all property, contents and goods that have been damaged. Take photos of the damage, including items taken outside by firefighters. Cheap, disposable cameras are available from most supermarkets. A loss assessor may offer to represent you in dealing with your insurance company. A percentage charge will be made if you choose to use their services. Keep in regular contact with your insurance company to make sure the work carried out is covered by your policy. NO INSURANCE? Contact your local Social Security office who may be able to offer financial assistance. Voluntary support agencies such as the Red Cross or the Salvation Army may be able to help if you have immediate hardship

5 Replacing important documents Useful contacts Document needed Bank/building society books & mortgage documents Credit cards Benefits agency documents Birth, marriage & death certificates Divorce papers Driving licence & vehicle records Contact Bank or building society Issuing companies Local benefits agency office Original office of registration certificates or the general Register Office for advice The court where the decree was issued Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency National agencies Phone Textphone Benefits Agency national helpline British Red Cross (Nottinghamshire HQ) Central Register of Births Deaths & Marriages DVLA (vehicle & driver documents) Floodline Health & Safety Executive information line Income tax records National Savings/Premium Bonds Passports Stocks & bonds Warranties / guarantees Wills Medical records Business Continuity Plan The Inland Revenue service centre where filed, your accountant or your local district office Your local Post Office Passport office. Foreign nationals contact your embassy. Your broker should have the details of the shares you hold. A solicitor may be needed to legally reconstruct the certificates. Manfacturers of individual items Your solicitor or the Citizens Advice service for advice Your doctor National Insurance National Savings & Premium Bonds Passport Agency hr utilities & health advice Electricity Your own supplier Gas leaks - Transco Water - Severn Trent Health - NHS Direct Police - emergencies always 101 or dial Social Services

6 After a property fire Firefighters need to determine the cause of the fire and if it looks like it was caused deliberately, the police may seal off part of your property. Do not enter sealed off areas. Your firefighters might have opened up walls to make sure that no hidden fires were still burning and also to vent smoke and gasses. The damage may appear serious but the fire crews must make sure there is no further risk of fire. Some firefighting equipment may be left behind, such as plastic sheets to cover gaps in the roof. These are only a temporary measure and your firefighters will contact you to arrange collection. You will need to make arrangements for replacement or alternative items where necessary. Building materials cool down at different rates and strange noises may be heard after a fire has been put out. After a chimney fire To prevent further damage, put a metal bucket or large metal pan half filled with water in the fireplace or hearth or catch and cool any falling debris. Put a fire guard in front of the fire and allow the chimney to cool for at least 24 hours before you use it again. Have the chimney swept before you use it and on a regular basis afterwards contact the National Association of Chimney Sweeps, After a vehicle fire If your own vehicle has been involved in a fire, you should contact your insurance company and follow their advice. If it is safe to do so, remove any salvageable valuables, including the tax disc, insurance documents and the vehicle s MOT certificate. It is not necessary to report a car fire to the police unless the cause was arson or a road traffic collision, if people are injured or if the vehicle obstructs the highway. Your damaged vehicle cannot remain in a public place or on a highway. If it is in an unsafe condition, a recovery company can move it for you. If you suspect a crime, consult the police before it is moved. REMEMBER! Do not use contaminated food - if in doubt, throw it out!

7 You can: Lightly remove soot from fabrics and surfaces using a vacuum cleaner use an open pipe, not a brush. Open doors and windows to clear the air in your home (but don t leave them open when you re not there). Rinse leather and suede items in cold water and dry naturally. Carefully clean fixtures, fittings, towel rails and chrome trim with a light coating of petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline) or other oil. Take locks apart, wipe with paraffin and oil. If you can t do this, you can squirt machine oil through the opening and move the handle to spread the oil. Thoroughly clean and oil hinges on doors and windows. Keep your freezer closed if the electricity will be back on within 24 hours. Make sure the freezer is not affected by water, heat or smoke. Pour undiluted antifreeze into toilet bowls, sinks and baths to prevent freezing if the heating is off in the winter. Call a plumber to drain the heating system if it is unable to be used in the winter. Spray plants with water on both sides of leaves. Take pets, including fish, to a clean place. Use dehumidifiers to remove water from the atmosphere you can hire these from tool hire companies. But don t: Don t wipe or try to wash absorbent wall surfaces or ceilings as the dirt will soak into the surface. Do not use contaminated upholstered furniture. Do not use food or canned goods that have been affected by heat or smoke and do not refreeze thawed food IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT! Do not use TVs, stereos or any other electrical appliances until they have been cleaned and checked by a qualified person. Find a cleaners that specialises in cleaning smoke-damaged garments as the wrong cleaning method may make smoke and odour impossible to remove. Do not use LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) heaters to dry out your property as they create water vapour. do not walk mud upstairs - change footwear to keep carpets clean Do not leave books, magazines or other coloured items on wet carpets

8 After flooding Your firefighters will be able to pump out most of the water in your property and carry out some salvage work, but the drying and clearing up is your responsibility. The cost of the work may be covered by your insurance so check your policy or contact your provider to find out. If the damage is serious, a company that specialises in salvage from water damage will be able to help. You should also consult a plumber to check if any water pipes have been damaged. Flood water may be hazardous to your health. If you think any food or medical supplies have been contaminated by flood water, throw it away. IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT! You can: do not do walk not walk mud mud upstairs upstairs - change - change footwear footwear to keep to keep carpets carpets clean clean Keep your freezer closed if the electricity will be back on within 24 hours and the freezer has not been affected by water. Remove as much water as possible by mopping or using a vacuum cleaner that is made to take up water. Blot small areas with clean, white towels to avoid any colour transfer. Wipe water from wood. Remove and prop up upholstery cushions for even drying. Check that the dye doesn t run on to other surfaces. Place aluminium foil, china saucers or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpet to prevent the legs from absorbing water and swelling. Open drawers and cabinet doors to air dry but don t force them open. Remove valuable objects to a safe, dry place. Make small holes into sagging plaster ceilings to release trapped water and place buckets beneath. Note: Artex used in the 1990s may contain Asbestos contact your local council s environmental health department for advice. Keep out of rooms where ceilings are weakened or wet older ceilings may not sag but can be very heavy and fall suddenly. Do not Do leave not leave books, books, magazines magazines or other or other coloured coloured items items on wet on carpets wet carpets do not do walk not walk mud mud upstairs upstairs - change - change footwear footwear to keep to keep carpets carpets cleanclea Do not Do leave not leave books, books, magazines magazines or oth o do not do walk not w

9 Open windows and turn on heating to assist drying, but only after your gas and electricalmains supplies have been checked by qualified people. Place damaged photos and documents in plastic bags and freeze for later inspection. Wrap books in cling film to maintain the binding before freezing. Stuff purses and shoes with newspapers to make sure they keep their shape. Use dehumidifiers to remove water from the atmosphere you can hire these from tool hire companies. But don t: Do not walk mud upstairs change footwear to keep carpets clean. Do not leave books, magazines or other coloured items on wet carpets. Do not use your normal dry vacuum cleaner to remove water. Do not use your TV or other electrical appliances while standing on a wet carpet or floor. A qualified electrician must check them first if they are waterdamaged. Do not turn on switches or other electrical items if wet. Do not use LPG (liquefied petroleum gas heaters as they create water vapour. do not walk mud upstairs - change footwear to keep carpets clean do not walk mud upstairs - change footwear to keep carpets clean Your feedback Do not leave books, magazines or other coloured items on wet carpets We appreciate that you are very busy at this time, but as you are now someone who has experienced a fire or other emergency, we are very interested in your opinion of how we operate. If you could take a few moments to answer the following few questions and post this page back to us we d be very grateful. The postage is already paid. Your comments will help us improve our services. When we were dealing with the incident, were we: (tick all that apply) Do not leave books, magazines or other coloured items on wet carpets Do not leave books, magazines or other coloured items on wet carpets Professional Quick to respond Informative Comments: Do you consider the fire and rescue service to be: (tick all that apply) Approachable Good at listening to your views Good value for money Representative of your local community Comments: Can you remember ever seeing any fire safety information in the past? Yes No If so, what was it, and was it useful? 15

10 Your feedback How did you find the information in this leaflet? Comments: Your notes Very useful Fairly useful Satisfactory Were you visited by the Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support Service? Yes No If so, did you find the service helpful? Comments: Yes No How could we improve the services offered by the fire and rescue service and / or the Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support Service? Please send your completed feedback to: FREEPOST Corporate Services, HQ, Bestwood Lodge, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 8PD

11 Help us to help you If you have any questions about fire safety or would like to discuss anything in this leaflet, please contact us on for general fire safety advice. You can also visit or REC/BOOK/001/09