Short Pump Insurance is pleased to reward Tammy with a dinner for two at Outback Steakhouse. We appreciate the support of all of our customers who send us referrals. Our next contest begins September 1st and the prize drawing  is on October 28th. $50 in WAWA gas cards will be the October prize……………..

E-mail or phone in your referrals, and each one gives you an entry in the contest. Our random drawing is conducted by George W. Garner & Associates CPA.

Looking at the reason for the leak I saw a bulged out area of the hose which had weakened and finally burst. The cold water hose was in the same condition and had the same bulging area destined to blow at a later date…The condition is very common and similar to an aneurysm on the wall of an artery, just a weakened side wall ready to explode.

Most clothes washers come with cheap rubber hoses that eventually fail. Take a look at yours and you may find one or both showing signs of weakening and bulged out areas ready to fail.

Now even if they are new hoses, it’s a good idea to go to your local hardware store and make a wise investment. Purchase a set of reinforced hoses and use these to replace the other hoses. These reinforced hoses look like they have a wire wrapping around them and you can ask for assistance from a store  employee in making your selection.  

Burst water pipes do happen and it’s important that everyone in the house know where the water shut off is located. Most newer houses have a shutoff inthe garage, but some are under the house. So in the midst of an emergency someone can quickly locate the shutoff and reduce the amount of damage by stopping the flow.

Cleaning your gutters can prevent water from backing up under the shingles and damaging your roof, and downspout extensions directing water away from the house can keep it out of the basement and crawlspace.

The few minutes spent reviewing these suggestions, can mean the difference in avoiding an insurance claim and even the inconvenienence of a temporary relocation while repairs are made to your home……………….

OK it’s time for your child to get a learners permit and you ask yourself “what have I done to prepare him/her for this”. You’ve probably had the time in the car talking about how to drive safely, or you may be at a loss on where to start. Do you take time to talk about an accident you drive by or see reported on television? Remember when you first began driving, and now fast forward to today. What changes have there been since your first time driving without mom or dad?

Some things remain the same such as speed kills, fixed object rarely move, and seat belts save lives, but much has changed since then. The most significant changes are technology related. Cells phones, audio systems, vehicle components, texting, twittering, face booking, compete with what was once simply talking. The in vehicle noise level is powered by woofers and sub-woofers, with distractions increasing every year.

As with anything in life your child will be making decisions, and learning from the consequences of good or bad choices. And you only hope that you have done everything possible to prepare for this decision- making in your absence.

An asset you might want to use in preparing your child could very well be your insurance agent. Your agent should be able to spend time with you and your child discussing insurance and the financial aspects to safe driving.

As an insurance agent and former fire captain/paramedic I offer this service to my clients. Our conversation is based on my time on the streets responding to vehicle accidents involving young drivers. We talk about human anatomy, designs of vehicles, and what occurs during an accident. We talk about the value of good decision-making, and life altering consequences of bad decisions. We talk about the impact of good vs bad decisions. We talk about the personal impact concerning health and quality of life. We review photos of vehicle accidents and discuss important learning points. We use play money and talk about the financial impact of unsafe driving, and the components of personal auto insurance. We talk about liability, responsibility, accountability, and how something as simple as littering resulted in a suspended license.   

Some of what I discuss is simply repeating what you have already covered with your new driver, but it comes from another source when your agent reinforces what you are trying to say. Hearing safe driving philosophy from a second source with my background, simply adds to your efforts to fully prepare your child to handle driving a vehicle.

If you have an interest in this free community service, please call me to schedule a visit. Even if you aren’t a current customer of my agency I would be glad to make a difference with someone you care about. I also offer this to small groups, should you have a group of young people who might benefit from a program like this. Think about it now, before you ask yourself later “what else could I have done to prepare my child to drive safely”?

Through your generosity, ERIE was able to donate $234,782 to the American Red Cross in support of Haiti relief efforts.  In addition to our corporate donation of $50,000, we matched the $92,391 donated by Employees and Agents.  “We’re grateful for the generosity of community partners like Erie Insurance,” said Pam Masi, executive director of the Erie Chapter of the American Red Cross.  “With your help we’re making an immediate difference in Haiti.”

While our agency may not be “on the ground” dealing with the devastation in Haiti, we’re proud to be a part of the effort to provide financial aid to those less fortunate than us. While the news coverage diminishes, let’s not forget the struggle for basic needs that continues in that country. 

So he goes out and buys a turkey fryer, $30 worth of peanut oil, and lights the gas burner.

The boys hang out waiting for the oil to heat up enough to drop the bird in for a 20 minute cook off.

Real men don’t read directions!

If they did, the part about not filling the fryer with too much oil would prevent many holiday fires.

So now the oil is boiling, and ready for the big bird drop. As the bird is lowered the oil is displaced and gets closer to the top of the fryer…………………………………..what happens next is only matched by the 4th of July fireworks. The moisture in the bird adds to the boiling action and the oil begins to overflow…………..as it hits the burner the gas flame ignites it…………………………

As the event unfolds the cook and onlookers realize the fryer is on the deck, attached to the house, and now the deck is blazing………………………..they spring into action running for the nearest water supply. It makes sense to throw water on a fire………unless it’s a flammable liquid fire! As the first cup of water hits the oil it erupts into an even bigger fire and now someone suggests “call the fire department”………..And you can figure out the “rest of the story”.

Be safe during the holidays. If you do the fryer thing, follow the directions, place the fryer away from the house, garage, or shed, and have a dry chemical extinguisher ready for action!

Let me share three reasons………….just follow along.

In the past 5 days I had several people ask for a quote, and three people were surprised at what they learned. One was paying for more dwelling coverage than he needed. For three years he was paying for $80,000 more coverage than the $140,000 it would take to rebuild his home.     Now keep in mind we have cost estimators to determine the cost to completely rebuild your home. Based on the information you provide,a figure is generated which is used to determine the re-build cost. The underwriters use this and other information to determine what your premiums will be.

Another was quoted (by another agent) $40,000 less dwelling coverage than the $200,000 it would take to rebuild his home. He knew this figure sounded low and questioned the figures he was quoted, then sought another quote through our office.

And the third was a young woman who saved $932 in annual premium, by simply asking me for a quote. She thought her insurance was pretty steep for having a good driving record, and wanted a second opinion. I was able to significantly increase her coverages, while saving her what amounts to a couple car payments over the next 12 months…………

So the lesson here is to talk to your agent when things change in your life, around the home, office, or activities which may require changes in insurance coverages. At a minimum you should have an insurance review annually with your agent. Proper coverage is just as much the responsibility of the policyholder as it is the agent, and together you can ensure your proper protection!!

How many times have you been stuck in traffic because of an accident up ahead? It can even be in the opposite lane of travel on a divided highway and it still slows or stops traffic traveling the other direction.

So many times I’ve been on a highway working an accident scene as a firefighter/paramedic and had vehicles running into each other within feet of where I was working. I may have been halfway in a vehicle attending to a patient or walking to the fire engine to get some equipment, and then it happens. The hair raising screech of tires locked up and then the crunch of metal, and flying debris, as another vehicle is wrecked.

Police, Fire and EMS workers are placed in constant danger by drivers slowing down to look at the first accident, instead of watching where they’re driving. They put on brakes instead of driving safely through the accident scene, and then are struck by the vehicle following. Sometimes these vehicles end up crashing into the emergency workers, at the original accident.

Where I’m going with this story is to emphasize focusing on driving when approaching the accident scene, and leave the looking at the crunched up cars to your passengers. If all drivers paid attention to the cars ahead of them there would be fewer accidents causing accidents………………………….

Cell phones, radios, talking to your friends in the backseat, daydreaming, and before you know it you’ve driven 5 miles and don’t remember anything about it. I ran a call once where the teenager was witnessed talking on the cell phone as she drove through the red light…………it was the last thing she did as a vehicle struck her car…………. I sat at an intersection and watched an adult drive through a red light while taking on the phone, oblivious to the vehicles slamming on brakes around him………….then there was the driver talking on the cell phone, while holding a drink in the other hand, at the same time using her knees to steer the car in the passing lane while driving slower than the posted speed limit………talk to your young drivers about distractions while driving………..btw texting while driving is now illegal in Virginia!

This is just to get you thinking “Are any of these possibilities at my house or rental property”? Did you talk to your agent about those extra sheds, workshops, etc on your property?

As you can see we are adding new content each day and intend to make this site both informative and interesting. You may not be shopping for insurance at this time, but the content you find here can be used to increase the safety of your family and friends. Feel free to provide feedback, suggestions, or even a comment on something you learned here that may have been of service to you………..