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ServiceMaster Clean Stresses the Importanceof Hurricane Preparedness

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Disaster restoration company says advanced planning can save you,
your family and your property.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (June 6, 2011)—As June marks the official start of the 2011 hurricane season, ServiceMaster Clean franchises across the nation stand ready to assist storm victims contain and reduce water damage. In addition to the list of 12 helpful tips on how to mitigate water damage on its Web site, http://www.800respond.com/Tips/, the company suggests several things you should do to prepare before extreme weather hits your home.

“Before a hurricane strikes, it’s important to carefully map out a response,” says Pete Duncanson, director of training and technical support for ServiceMaster Clean. “Because the amount of planning you do upfront is going to play a significant role in the post-storm clean-up.” Check out additional tips in Pete’s video.

            As the experts in disaster restoration, the professionals from ServiceMaster Clean make the following recommendations in anticipation of a hurricane or tropical storm:

MAP OUT AN EVACUATION ROUTE

Secure a community hurricane preparedness plan through your local emergency management office or Red Cross chapter and make sure to fill your gas tanks, as you may have to travel long distances inland to find a hotel or shelter.

HAVE AN OUT-OF-STATE CONTACT

Identify an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the official family contact, and be sure all family members have this person’s contact information.

IDENTIFY MEETING PLACES

In case family members are separated from one another during a disaster (for example, when adults are at work and children are at school), identify two places to meet: one right outside your home and another outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home. Make sure everyone knows the address and phone number of your second meeting place.

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HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE FOR YOUR PETS

Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate. Understand that most shelters and hotels will not allow them on the property, so it is critical to determine early on where to house them during a pending storm. Photograph them and make sure they are wearing identification collars in case you lose them during the storm.

PROTECT VALUABLES FROM WATER DAMAGE

Photograph and/or video both the interior and exterior of your home for a record of all valuables. Make sure to store originals of important documents, including birth certificates, banking and credit card information and medical records in a waterproof container as well.

UTILIZE DIFFERENT FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Purchase a battery-operated AM/FM radio and/or battery-operated television to keep updated on events. Since most telephones will be out of order when the storm hits, weather radio will be your best source of information. However, make sure your cell phone is fully charged and have a phone charger in the car in case land lines are out for an extended period.

STOCK EMERGENCY SUPPLIES

These items include the following:

  • Three days worth of non-perishable, ready-to-eat canned food items and a manual can opener
  • One gallon of water per person per day for three days
  • First aid kit that includes pre-moistened antibacterial wipes and insect repellant
  • List of medications and prescriptions for each member of the household
  • Flashlights and plenty of fresh batteries
  • Disposable flash camera to take pictures of post-storm damage to home and/or vehicles
  • Pen and paper
  • Extra blankets and clothing
  • Alternate cooking source
  • Special items for infant, elderly or disabled family members, including one-week supply of medications and foods for infants or those with special diets
  • Crescent or pipe wrench to turn off gas and water
  • One quart of unscented bleach or iodine tablets (for disinfecting water if ordered to do so by health officials) and an eyedropper (for adding bleach to water)
  • Personal hygiene items such as soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes
  • Fire extinguisher

PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY

Close and board up windows with ½ inch marine plywood and make sure to remove all outside antennas. Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed of dead wood and clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts. You should keep extra plywood and plastic for repairs you may need to make after the storm. Be sure to hold onto all receipts to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.

KNOW HOW TO SHUT OFF YOUR UTILITIES

In the event that electricity is lost, be sure to turn the main switches in the circuit breaker box to the off position. Make sure all household appliances are turned off, as no one may be home when power is restored. Appliances left on could cause a fire.

REVIEW AND UNDERSTAND INSURANCE COVERAGE

It is important to understand what deductibles in your policy are in place for hurricane damage. You will need to investigate flood insurance, as homeowners policies do not cover water damage that results from a hurricane. Check out the National Flood Insurance Program, which is designed to provide a means for property owners to financially protect themselves when catastrophe strikes.

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For more information on hurricane safety, visit the National Hurricane Center’s Web site at www.nhc.noaa.gov.

ServiceMaster Clean is not only prepared to respond to disasters when Mother Nature strikes, but it is also ready to help when there’s a fire, water leak or other mechanical malfunction in your home or business. The company’s local service operations throughout the country are trained, equipped and ready to restore your property after any disaster, from water in the basement to fire and smoke damage in the lobby. The company will dry and clean everything from documents to carpet, to help you avoid mold problems later. And ServiceMaster Clean handles jobs as large as your entire office building or as small as a single room in your home.

If and when the unforeseen happens in your home, call on the quick response of ServiceMaster Clean at 1-800-RESPOND. Our emergency call center is prepared to handle your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

In addition to protecting your residence, we know that for your business, lost time means lost revenue -- and potentially lost customers. When disaster strikes, ServiceMaster Clean can minimize business interruptions by quickly analyzing the problem, providing a professional assessment of the damage, determining the services needed for a complete restoration, reviewing scope of services with the adjuster, finishing the job on time, and following up to insure total satisfaction.

Commerical property managers and business owners should immediately call 1-866-RECOVER following a hurricane, fire, flood or other disaster. We provide a nationwide single-source solution for commercial disaster restoration and reconstruction services. We have one of the fastest local on-site emergency response times in the industry.

About ServiceMaster Clean

With nearly 3,200 franchise locations around the world, ServiceMaster Clean serves customers through a global network of franchises that provide cleaning and restoration resulting from damage caused by water or fire, janitorial services, commercial carpet cleaning, hard surface floor care and residential carpet and upholstery cleaning. Visit our website at www.servicemasterclean.com.

About ServiceMaster

With a network of more than 5,000 company-owned and franchise locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world’s largest residential and commercial service networks.  The company’s high profile brands are TruGreen, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Through approximately 29,000 corporate employees and a franchise network that independently employs over 31,000 additional people, the ServiceMaster family of brands serve more than 8.2 million customers every year and hold market-leading positions in residential and commercial lawn care and landscape maintenance, termite and pest control, home service contracts, furniture repair, home inspections, residential and commercial cleaning and disaster restoration. Go to www.servicemaster.com or http://twitter.com/ServiceMaster for more information about ServiceMaster.

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