It can happen ..... and did

I realize that this has nothing do with our business, but, there is a message here, for ALL to hear.

I am so saddened by this senseless, needless accident here in our own county. Five young lives, three ended, and two who will never forget the incident, there lives, in a way, were also taken. Five lives, looking forward to a Summer and all the Summer activities ..... probably excessive speed, on a long straight stretch on a county road, the cause. If you have children, show them this photograph, show them that it can happen, and tell them the consequences.

Johnstown is a lovely little central Ohio community, a very close-knit community, one with porches, still lining streets. I have passed through that town, in the evening, and noticed people walking down the sidewalks, sitting on their porches, waving and greeting. It is that kind of a community, and I am sure the entire community is saddened by this tragic accident. Let your kids and your family know that if CAN happen, to anyone, in a split-second ......

LICKING COUNTY, Ohio - Ohio State Highway Patrol says three people are dead and two people are injured after a single car accident in Licking County. According to police, a silver Mitsubishi Diamante carrying five people smashed into a tree and split in two just after 1 PM on Hardscrabble Road, near Alexandria. All three passengers in the back seat of the vehicle - two females and one male - were partially ejected during the crash and killed. 

They were not wearing seatbelts. 

Police say the victims were, 17-year-old Michael Hoskinson, 15-year-old Chyenne Spurgeon and 15-year-old Linzie Bell. Two occupants in the driver's and passenger seat were injured in the crash, but survived. Their condition is unknown. All of the car's occupants were between 15 and 17-years-old.

Investigators say skid marks just before the impact may indicate either the driver applied the brakes or he was traveling so fast he was trying to regain control of the car before it struck the tree. 

Police say speed was a factor in the crash.

That time of year ....

We are nearing that time of year, the Gutter Cleaning Season. Baseball's Spring Training is underway, and means that Spring is not too far behind. 

Gain access to the roof with a ladder. Don't lean the ladder against a downspout or gutter, which can easily bend or break. Remove leaves and twigs from gutters by hand or with a large spoon, a gutter scoop or a small garden trowel.

Wet down caked-on dirt, which can be difficult to remove without damaging the gutter itself, then remove it with the gutter scoop or trowel. Put debris in a bucket or plastic trash bag placed on the roof or ladder. If you use a bag, you can just drop it when it's full.

Check that the downspouts aren't clogged. Use water to unclog your downspouts by placing a garden hose in the opening. But be gentle at first; downspouts aren't designed to withstand the same pressure as a house drain. If a plugged downspout can't be cleared with a hose, use a small plumber's snake or an unbent clothes hanger. Again, be gentle. Gutters are not as strong as house pipes.

Alternatively, use a leaf blower to clean the gutters; however, remember that you'll be high up, often in awkward postures, and carrying a good-sized machine that not only is awkward to use but also can blind you with dust.

Use the hose to flush the gutters with water after cleaning. (This is also the best time to find out if there are any leaks in the system.)

Mold

"I found mold growing in my home, how do I test the mold?"

Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Current evidence indicates that allergies are the type of diseases most often associated with molds. Since the susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health risk. If you are susceptible to mold and mold is seen or smelled, there is a potential health risk; therefore, no matter what type of mold is present, you should arrange for its removal. Furthermore, reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established.

Call the mold specialists at 1st Response if you suspect you have a mold problem (740) 345-4911 or visit our website at www.ohio1st-response.com

Biohazard clean up

Most homeowner's insurance policies cover biohazard clean up. 

Contact the professionals at 

1st Response 

for your needs. 

Personal service 24/7/365. 

(740) 345-4911

Biohazard Decontamination Unit,

Our Newly expanded services,

 Biohazard Decontamination Unit,

 is under way! 

While we pray none of you are ever exposed to this situation, 

these services can be provided with compassion and detail 

by the staff at 1st Response. 

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. 740-345-4911

 or 

info@ohio1st-response.com.

Biohazard Decontamination Unit

Our Newly expanded services, Biohazard Decontamination Unit, is under way! 

While we pray none of you are ever exposed to this situation, these services can be provided with compassion and detail by the staff at 1st Response. 

If you need crime scene clean-up guidance, have questions about your payment options, which crime scene clean up procedures your current insurance policy covers or require our cleanup services immediately, don't hesitate to call 1st Response at: 888-233-4321.

· Your regular cleaning or janitorial service has not been properly certified OR equipped to handle biohazardous waste such as blood or bodily fluids, and does not have a legally accepted mechanism in place to dispose of the recovered bio-hazard waste.

· Federal Regulation 29-CFR-1910.1030 states that no employee can be placed in a position to be exposed to a blood spill without first:

1. Bloodborne pathogen (BBP) training.

2. A written BBP exposure control plan.

3. Proper training on the correct usage of personal protective Equipment.

4. Hepatits B vaccine, exposure evaluation follow-up.

5. Proper method to store and dispose of biohazardous waste.

Body protection is required for employees who face potential bodily injury of any kind that cannot be eliminated through engineering, work practice or administrative controls while performing their jobs. 

Exposure to blood and other body fluids is an example of a workplace hazard that could cause bodily injury. In addition, exposure may cause illness. - OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) 

or 

740-345-4911

 or info@ohio1st-response.com.

· LICKING COUNTY

· KNOX COUNTY

· COSHOCTON COUNTY

· MUSKINGUM COUNTY

· PERRY COUNTY

· FAIRFIELD COUNTY

How Do I Winterize a Vacant House?

First of all, it is advisable to leave the heat on very low. Though it might seem like a waste of money or energy at first glance, a minimal heating bill will be less expensive than the cost of potential repairs if everything were to freeze up. There are many systems and components in a house that are meant to be kept at or near room temperature. By using your furnace or boiler at a low level, you are keeping these things secure.

Most people know that a big part of winterizing is dealing with pipes and plumbing. If you have turned off the water, hopefully that means the house was plumbed on a downgrade so you were able to drain all the pipes completely and eliminate the chance of water expanding inside them and breaking the pipes. If not, it usually is advisable to leave some water running through the pipes by turning on the fixture closest to where water enters the house and at the farthest point indoors, say in an upstairs bathroom. It needs to trickle constantly to keep water flowing.

It is also advisable to wrap insulation around the water heater, the pipes leading to and from it and insulate any pipes exposed outdoors, in a crawl space under the house, etc. If the pilot light is left on, it is not necessary to drain the water heater, but if not, then it probably should be drained and turned off. You might call a local plumbing company in your area to discuss whether you should turn the water back on or not.

It is not a bad idea to put some anti-freeze in both the tank and the bowl of each toilet. If the heat goes out and water inside the toilets freezes, it could crack the china fixtures.

Winterizing your plumbing and water systems might be the most important aspect of winterizing in general, but coming in pretty close is inspecting your roof and cleaning out your gutters. The roof and attic of a vacant house might be left alone for very long periods of time, so getting a roof inspection before cold weather hits is a fantastic idea, and could end up saving you some serious money in the long run. Gutters, like plumbing, can develop real problems if ice is allowed to build up in them. Having your gutters cleaned before winter begins will reduce the risk of too much ice forming inside them.

Finally, make sure someone checks on the house every week or two, if at all possible. Though you can certainly take precautions such as winterizing whatever you can in and around the house, unexpected situations can still occur. A quick look around done periodically for as long as the house is empty (even during warmer weather) can mean the difference between a problem being caught early enough to be fixed before any damage is done, and a problem that's left unchecked long enough to cause hundreds or even thousands of dollars in damage.

FIRE

Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidation processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition. In ancient Greece, fire was considered one of four elements.

The flame is the visible portion of the fire. If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma. Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities outside, the color of the flame and the fire's intensity will be different.

Fire in its most common form can result in conflagration, which has the potential to cause physical damage through burning. Fire is an important process that affects ecological systems across the globe. The positive effects of fire include stimulating growth and maintaining various ecological systems. Fire has been used by humans for cooking, generating heat, signaling, and propulsion purposes. The negative effects of fire include water contamination, soil erosion, atmospheric pollution and hazard to human and animal life.

Remembering

NEWARK — Craig Young remembers the morning in 1992 when he walked into the burned building that used to house his contracting business.

There was soot on the walls and a thick smell of smoke; he could hear the water-logged carpet squish as he walked across it.

At first, as a contractor, Young assumed he’d be able to fix the damage. But he soon realized the specialized process of repairing fire damage required equipment and skills he did not possess. As he watched people come in to clean up, he remembered looking at the commercial-grade dehumidifier and thinking, “I ought to get one of those.”

Twenty years later, as the owner of 1st Response Restoration and Reconstruction Specialists, Young is the owner of a dehumidifier and countless other special tools his company uses to combat damage caused by fire, smoke, mold and water.

“In this business, there are so many tricks of the trade,” said Young, who has been in the contracting business since his youth.

After his Manning Street business caught fire in 1992, Young began exploring what it would take to operate a business that specialized in the removal of fire, water and mold damage.

He eventually opened a local franchise of Purofirst, a national company, and 10 years later left the franchise to start 1st Response, a full-service construction company certified with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification.

He meets with people who have walked into their homes for the first time after a fire to realize the roof is gone, the living room is scorched or the floor is covered in water.

Young tells them it will be OK — he’s been there.

The 1st Response crew sizes up the damage and springs into action, first looking to save as much of the structure as possible.

“Our goal is to repair and restore, rather than rip and replace,” Young said.

Items are taken from the customer’s home or business to the 1st Response facility on O’Bannon Avenue, where they individually are cleaned or replaced if necessary.

It’s a great feeling, showing a customer a room, business or home that has been brought back to life, Young said.

“When people come in and they see that finished product, that’s your business card,” he said.

The 24 hours per day, seven-days-per-week service primarily operates in Licking and surrounding counties. It keeps Young and his employees busy, but he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“It’s a very rewarding business,” Young said.

Full Service Contractor - 1st Response

740-345-4911

Serving Licking, Knox, Coshocton,

Muskingum, Perry and Fairfield Counties

1st Response

CALL 1st RESPONSE

740-345-4911

Serving Licking, Knox, Coshocton,

Muskingum, Perry and Fairfield Counties

Some of the benefits of working with 1st Response, include:

A full-service construction company.

A Certified Firm with the INSTITUTE OF INSPECTION, CLEANING AND RESTORATION CERTIFICATION.

We are a Preferred Contractor for most major insurance companies, and have worked with over 50 other insurance firms.

The Staff personally responds immediately to every call.

Emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our Certified, trained technicians use the latest technology available for restoration and reconstruction work.

You will receive a timely and accurate estimate.

Immediate Board-Up

First Response

1st Response, Newark, Ohio

Before and After

Flood Damages

Most Flood Damages are from natural disasters. To minimize your losses it is good to check always the area of your Property in case you need to purchase additional coverage.

Ask your Insurance Company about flood insurance and if you qualify for it. It is always best to have additional coverage if your home or facility is in in a Flood Prone Area.

Remember that water which comes from outside of your home mostly are not covered by your regular home insurance policy. It is always best to read and understand your policy.

Smoke Damage

Smoke-damaged walls are an inevitable part of a house fire. Smoke and soot can travel throughout your home and saturate any surface, which can be difficult to remove without the proper supplies, expertise, and experience in using them.

Professional restorers have years of experience and know how to use restoration products safely.

You should hire a professional restoration company to restore your home after a fire, and having them clean and repair smoke-damaged walls is a big part of fire damage cleanup.

MOLD

The best way yet to detect mold is simlpy to see and smell it.

Look for areas in the home that mold may be present.

Mold's favorite places happen to be bathrooms, kitchens, and basements.

Check any area that may have a lot of moisture.

Remember mold can be any color.

Red ,black, green, purple, or any other color.

If you can see or smell mold, then you have mold.

It is pretty simple.

While everyone else is gone for the weekend...we are here for you 24/7. 

If disaster should strike you, your friends, your family....CALL 1st RESPONSE! 

(740) 345-4911

and we will take it from there.

Plan Ahead

Make sure all family members know what to do in the event of a fire. 

Draw a floor plan with at least two ways of escaping every room. 

Make a drawing for each floor. Dimensions do not need to be correct. 

Make sure the plan shows important details: stairs, hallways and windows that can be used as fire escape routes.

Geographical Area Covered by 1st Response

Area covered by 1st Response