Irreplaceable

Have you ever experienced a fire? If you have, you know it is something you will never forget. If you have not, it is something you hope never happens! One thing I have noticed in almost every fire loss we’ve worked on, is that there is always one item that is irreplaceable. It is one sentimental item that the client focuses on and that means the world to them. It could represent hope to the client if restored. This then becomes our mission. We restore all that can be restored. Let me give you a couple of examples. So you can understand what I mean. You will easily relate if you have a family.

Can you imagine that all you have in the world are gone and the only thing left are the pajamas you fell asleep in? You no longer have a roof over your head or a cozy bed to sleep in. Thankfully, a kind neighbor was able to provide you with a coat to keep you warm. It is an absolute horror!! When the fire occurred this family was in the middle of planning a party. But the one sentimental item for this family was the plant that they purchased on their honeymoon 20 years ago in Hawaii. This plant symbolized the strength and growth of their marriage and the hope for the future. One of our crew members was able to prune it and replant it in fresh soil! That meant everything to this family.

Another fire story was when the Parents of one precious little girl were concerned about her American Girl Dolls. One was a look -a-like doll. Can you imagine how getting that doll would help this little girl transition from this traumatic experience? Folks let me tell you, a fire changes you! Well we were able to replace these dolls with brand new ones. The little girl could not have been more thrilled to get her 2 friends back. Although we specialize in restoration, we were able to speak to the American Girl company and have new dolls sent to us. That is just another example of how we can make it “Like it never even happened.”

Lastly I want to tell you about a family that had antique picture albums of their long gone relatives. You know the pictures that are black and white or sepia. This family was devastated and rightfully so. They wanted to preserve these pictures so that they can have them for their future generations. Our phenomenal crew, yet again came through. The house was considered condemned but our crew took the time to go through this house and open and lift everything that would lead to finding these albums and restoring them. And they found them! We were able to give these clients as well as the others irreplaceable items.

We at Servpro understand that sometimes money can't fix or replace what was damaged in a fire. We care about the little things.

SERVPRO® of Peekskill/Ossining             SERVPRO® of Tarrytown/Elmsford

servpropeekskillossining.com                servprotarrytownelmsford.com

(914) 788-1950                                                 (914) 358-9000

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Visible Mold

Have you ever wondered what mold looks like or smells like? Well, I have. The other day I went with our Operations Manager to a couple of Mold estimates. The homes were lovely to behold!

The first client was so sweet. She had water damage in her basement some time ago and called us to check for mold because her adult children had some concerns. At first walking into the basement it had that "basement smell." You know the smell, not bad, just expected. At first, we couldn't find any obvious signs of mold. But with a closer inspection, we found white mold that looked like cotton.

The second estimate was also in a basement. This basement was finished with a gym, office and play area for the children. It was so nice! But unfortunately you couldn't miss the mold! This home had black mold on the walls and white mold on the furniture. We also found puddles of water in this basement. We believe the homeowner didn't even know where the source of the water was from.

The statistics say that on average, every home over 10 years old has had some type of water damage. After visiting these homes, my throatt was irritated and later that night I had a headache. I rarely suffer from headaches. Today I feel better but it made me realize the potential hazards that mold can cause. If you suspect you have mold in your home or business, call us.

SERVPRO® of Peekskill/Ossining             SERVPRO® of Tarrytown/Elmsford

servpropeekskillossining.com                servprotarrytownelmsford.com

(914) 788-1950                                                 (914) 358-9000

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The Bright Side.

When a disaster strikes, it can cause stress, anxiety and serious damage. Believe me, I understand. I myself have suffered a disaster. I have had episodes with flooding in my basement. And I was worried about mold becoming an issue especially since I have a child with asthma. That is why having homeowners insurance and a game plan on how to proceed is so important.

Thankfully, there are restoration companies like ours! Honestly, what is a person to do when you open the door of your basement and water is filled to the top?

We work with insurance companies everyday. It helps to know that SERVPRO® exists. As a homeowner or business owner, it is important to know who to call in a disaster. Additionally you should have an ERP,an Emergency Ready Plan. An ERP consists of a folder or mini booklet that contains exits, contacts, photos and other pertinent information necessary if a catastrophe occurs.

If you have a disaster at 3:00am, who should you call? The police, your insurance agent, the fire department? Well, after the authorities, the answer is your agent's 24 hour phone number. The next call should be SERVPRO®! We can get to your loss ASAP and work with your insurance company. Sometimes in an emergency, we need to find a shut off valve or get into an HVAC closet. Believe it or not, you might not know where these things are. But if you allow us to put together an ERP folder for you, we will already have this information on file and we will be able to get started immediately. An ERP is a complimentary service of SERVPRO®.

So yes "stuff happens" but there is always a bright side! Don't be blindsided by a disaster... I was and it isn't fun.

SERVPRO® of Peekskill/Ossining             SERVPRO® of Tarrytown/Elmsford

servpropeekskillossining.com                servprotarrytownelmsford.com

(914) 788-1950                                                 (914) 358-9000

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No job is to small or big!

We had a client once that called in and said, " I think I have a little mold on my bathroom ceiling." Well it turns out that all the bathroom walls behind the wallpaper had mold all over them. Once we pulled down the wallpaper, we could see it. It looked like black spots and smelled horrible. It turns out that the source was from a leak upstairs that the client handled themselves.
Sometimes customers don't know and sometimes they try to paint or wallpaper over mold. People, this is a possible danger to your health!! The elderly and children with asthma could suffer greatly. Please try and solve the problem immediately. You may be covered by your insurance but even if you aren't, mold is too serious an issue to not have it taken care of.

Fortunately we were able to help this client. And we can help you. Don't be afraid to call even if you think it is "not much" or "no big deal". If you get it checked out early, hopefully it won't be a "big deal".

SERVPRO of Peekskill/Ossining             SERVPRO of Tarrytown/Elmsford
servpropeekskillossining.com                servprotarrytownelmsford.com

(914) 788-1950                                                 (914) 358-9000
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Tag you’re it!

Do you remember playing tag as a child? You ran around screaming hoping not to get tagged, but secretly all you wanted was to get all your friends? Well, living in an apartment is like a not so fun game of tag when your neighbor upstairs has an 8 inch ruptured sprinkler that sprays the entire apartment and floods the two apartments below. "Tag" I have water damage, you have water damage, we all have water damage! Not fun at all.

Yesterday we received an emergency phone call that an apartment's sprinkler system went off and had flooded the apartment as well as the two below. I went with our team to see the loss first hand. The homeowners were so upset. I listened as they told us how this water damage couldn't have come at a worst time. They had plans to go away for the weekend and I saw as they held back tears.

That's when I realized that the most important part of what we do is not cleaning and restoration, although no one does it better. But the most essential part, beyond the cleaning and paperwork, is the compassion. One word of comfort can make an unexpected disaster that seems like the end of the world turn into a small problem that has a solution.

Let me tell you I was shocked to see these losses. These clients had beautiful apartments overlooking the water! But unfortunately as I walked inside I was stepping in water. There was a smell and I thought how could there be a smell already? Our team informed me that it was the antifreeze I smelled. It is put in the pipes to keep them from “freezing”. Boy, was it awful!!

I was proud to see our crew at work and even more proud that we were able to comfort our clients in time of disaster!

SERVPRO of Peekskill/Ossining             SERVPRO of Tarrytown/Elmsford
servpropeekskillossining.com                servprotarrytownelmsford.com

(914) 788-1950                             (914) 358-9000
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My First Fire Experience.

You will never forget the first time you experience a fire. Before coming to work at SERVPRO® I never even thought about fire or the trauma one goes through during and after a fire.

We had a fire job a few months back and as the Marketing Representative, I wanted to visit our crew on the job site. I have to admit it was scary! It was a fourth floor apartment and the fire started in the bedroom. Thankfully, no one was hurt but it was absolutely devastating. The bedroom was covered in soot. It was pitch black and the smell of smoke was overwhelming. The local fire department did a great job putting the fire out but the water left a different kind of damage altogether. Sometimes what starts as fire damage can turn into water damage which can certainly lead to mold. So believe me when I say it is devastating.

I appreciate our crew and the work they do every day. They always follow SERVPRO®’s Service Response Guidelines! Our guidelines consist of three steps!

1.      Within one hour from notice of loss, SERVPRO® of Peekskill/Ossining and SERVPRO® of Tarrytown/Elmsford will contact you to arrange for service.

2.      Within four hours of loss notification, SERVPRO® of Peekskill/Ossining and SERVPRO® of Tarrytown/Elmsford will be on-site to start mitigation services (if necessary).

3.      Within eight business hours, a verbal briefing of the scope will be communicated to you by  SERVPRO ® of Peekskill/Ossining and SERVPRO®  of Tarrytown/Elmsford

SERVPRO of Peekskill/Ossining             SERVPRO of Tarrytown/Elmsford
servpropeekskillossining.com                servprotarrytownelmsford.com

(914) 788-1950                             (914) 358-9000
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Sometimes You Need A Hero!

When fire and water cleanup is needed,

getting help is now quicker and easier using the SERVPRO®

 Ready Plan App. The Ready Plan is an emergency preparedness tool for the home and business owners, property managers, risk managers and facility management. It allows for the creation of an Emergency Ready profile™ containing critical facility information to help speed up response time.

Download the App today on your smartphone!

SERVPRO of Peekskill/Ossining             SERVPRO of Tarrytown/Elmsford
servpropeekskillossining.com                servprotarrytownelmsford.com

(914) 788-1950                             (914) 358-9000
Get our free App
servpro.com/ready