Giving Back

2/26/2019 (Permalink)

At SERVPRO we feel that it is important to give back to the community so we’ve partnered with our local insurance agents to support local domestic violence shelters.  Every 9 seconds in the U.S. a women is assaulted or beaten.  Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women- more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.  92% of women surveyed list reducing domestic violence and sexual assault as their top concern.  In December of 2018 women in our industry came together to provide Christmas gifts to over 140 women in local shelters.  The outpouring of support was staggering!  We plan to continue the supporting domestic violence shelters by providing volunteer opportunities and continued donations.  In May we plan to give jewelry and scarves to the shelters so the children can give them a moms a Mother’s Day gift.  To all the generous women who have helped provide gifts for our local domestic violence shelters a special Thank You for your kindness and caring.  We will continue to keep everyone updated on this cause which is very near and dear to all our hearts.  Thank you!   

Cyber Awareness

11/3/2018 (Permalink)

Why is SERVPRO concerned about creating community awareness regarding cyber attacks and cyber security?  The more our world becomes connected to the internet the greater the risk for property damage.  Consider the following scenarios:

• Hackers gain access to a steel mill via a phishing attack introducing malware to the control system that prevents the shutdown of a blast furnace causing massive damage.
• A power grid is remotely disabled by hackers causing extensive power outages.
• Using a homemade transmitter, a teenager trips rail switches and derails train cars.
• A hacker infiltrates the computerized waste management system and deliberately spills millions of gallons of raw sewage.
• Machines at a hospital are infected by malware and a remote-access program is installed on the hospital's HVAC system.  This jeopardizes patient safety by putting drugs and other medical supplies at risk by altering the heating, AC and ventilation systems.

Sound like science fiction?  They are all true incidents and it is predicted that as the IoT (Internet of Things) continues to expand, property attacks will become more prevalent and costly.  Imagine hackers gaining access to the freezer temperature control at a frozen food manufacturer or infiltrating the computer system that regulates the fire sprinkler system in a large hotel.  The focus on cyber security and providing appropriate cyber coverage for commercial customers is not only important to protect data but also to protect vital system functions. Hackers have only scratched the surface when it comes to property damage so it is important to educate yourself about cyber risks before a catastrophic incident occurs.

Northeast Ohio Home Fire Campaign

9/4/2018 (Permalink)

American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign

Do You Need A Smoke Alarm?

Request a Smoke Alarm Here

Together we installed 1 million smoke alarms – a major milestone achieved!

Thank you to the thousands of volunteers that joined us to Sound the Alarm to install 100,000 free smoke alarms in at-risk communities across more than 100 cities. Together, we’re saving lives!

Every day, seven people die in home fires, most in homes that lack working smoke alarms. Sadly, children and the elderly disproportionately lose their lives. The American Red Cross wants to improve the odds and save lives, that’s why we launched our Home Fire Campaign in 2014.

A critical part of the campaign is Sound the Alarm, a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events across the country. Red Cross volunteers, along with fire departments and other partners canvass at-risk neighborhoods, installing free smoke alarms, replacing batteries in existing alarms, and providing fire prevention and safety education. In just three years, we’ve accomplished so much, including the installation of more than 1 million smoke alarms and prepared more than 1 million people against home fires through our home visits.

Get Involved

Find Local Volunteer Opportunities 

Start a Fundraiser

Donate Now

The Red Cross Responds to a Home Fire or Other Disaster Every 8 Minutes.

Twelve Things You Can Do to Prepare for Spring

2/26/2018 (Permalink)

Done with Winter ? Prep for Spring ? Here are 12 things you can do to prepare your home.

1. Clean your rain gutters. 
   Wind, animals, and gravity bring sticks, leaves, and other organic matter into your rain gutters, and chances are yours have accumulated their share of detritus over the winter. That's bad news for your home: When downspouts are clogged, rainwater can spill out of your gutters and around the perimeter of your house, putting it at risk for leaks and flooding. Get ready for spring showers by removing the mess from your gutters to ensure that the water will flow freely. Check out our blog post Rain Gutters and Water Problems for clues you may have a problem.
2. Change filters.
   To maintain optimal air quality in your home, it’s a good idea to replace your HVAC system's air filter seasonally as well as the filter in your kitchen range hood. While you're at it, consider changing the filters in your water purification system. Depending on your water, you might not need to change these as often as your HVAC filters, but it's not a bad idea to check them now. So, go ahead and welcome spring with new filters all around to keep your home clean and fresh, and your appliances in good working order. Need help ? See what SERVPRO of Portage County can do to help with our Air Duct and HVAC Cleaning Services.
3. Check vents.
   As snow melts away from your home’s foundation, it’s a good time to check any vents along the foundation or in the attic. Look for missing or damaged screens, debris, signs of insect or rodent infestation, or other issues, and correct them before they have a chance to become bigger problems later in the season.
4. Service the Lawn Mower.
   Get your lawn mower ready for the season with a tune-up. If you didn’t do it in the fall, now’s the time to drain and replace oil, sharpen the blades, remove caked-on grass and mud, and lubricate moving parts.
5. Prep the gas grill.
   After a long winter spent cooped up indoors, you're probably eager for a sunny day and a burger hot off the grill. Get your outdoor cooking station ready for spring by scraping away any rust spots that developed over the winter, cleaning the grill inside and out, and checking the fuel tank hose for damage.
6. Clean Backyard Furniture
   As the weather warms up, outdoor entertaining may be just around the corner. Prepare for warmer days ahead by thoroughly hosing down all backyard furniture—chairs, tables, and lounge chairs—wiping away cobwebs, and bringing outdoor chair cushions out of winter storage.
7. Pamper the Lawn
   Once the danger of frost has passed and your grass starts to come out of winter dormancy, it’s time to jump-start your spring lawn-care routine. Address winter damage to your turf by seeding bare patches—although if you do reseed at this time of year, you should avoid spring applications of chemical weed or crabgrass treatments, which can harm new grass. Then get a head start on weed prevention by manually removing broad-leaf weeds before they have a chance to multiply. For cool-season grasses, spread a light application of fertilizer in early spring; for warm-season grasses, fertilization can wait until late spring or early summer.
8. Groom Shrubs and Trees
   Winter storms can be hard on your landscaping, resulting in broken tree limbs, ragged shrubs, and a garden full of organic debris. Get your yard ready for spring by removing broken or damaged branches, pruning summer-blooming trees and shrubs like butterfly bush and crepe myrtle, and raking up fallen leaves. For information on our Storm Damage services, click here.
9. Check the Roof
   Take advantage of the sun’s return to check your roof for cracked or missing shingles or tiles, and examine flashing around vents and the chimney for damage. While you’re at it, have the chimney cleaned and inspected by a professional.
10. Plant Bulbs
    Spring is the ideal time to plant summer-blooming flowers, which include beauties like dahlias and gladioli. Go ahead and get them into the ground as soon as the danger of frost has passed.
11. Clean Windows
    Winter storms and rain can leave your windows streaked and dirty. Improve your view of mellower weather and let more sun into the house by cleaning windows, both inside and out. Storm Damage ? Click here.
12. Test Alarms
    Let the change of season be your reminder to test all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors for proper functioning. Change batteries if necessary. Alarms can malfunction as they age, so if yours are older than seven years, consider replacing them.

Happy Spring, Portage County ! In need of SERVPRO of Portage County services ? Questions ? Visit our website or call us at - 330-677-4483

Call SERVPRO of Portage County

11/29/2017 (Permalink)

Our franchise professionals are uniquely qualified to help. Need Help? Call us at 330-677-4483

SERVPRO of Portage County understands the stress that comes with damage to your home or business, whether it be from fire, water, mold, storm or even biohazards. Our franchise professionals are uniquely qualified to help.

Our team is trained to IICRC standards in fire and water cleanup and restoration. In addition, we have Employee Certification Training, Initial Franchise Training, e-Learnings and Continuing Education Classes. For more information on our training program, click here.

Restoring your property is SERVPRO's first priority, and restoring your property is less expensive than replacing your property.

We respond immediately to your loss with our 24/7 Emergency Service team. With over 1,700 U.S. and Canadian Franchise locations, SERVPRO is strategically positioned to be faster to any size emergency. An immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.

For more information on SERVPRO of Portage County, visit our Company Profile page.

Need Help? Call us at 330-677-4483, or Request Help Online.

Overcoming Hoarding: 12 Tips

9/5/2017 (Permalink)

There’s obviously the assault on your eyes of the quantity of the clutter, then there’s the appreciation of what a mishmash the clutter is. -WebMD

Compulsive hoarding, also known as hoarding disorder, is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them, according to MayoClinic.org. Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of value, occurs.

People with compulsive hoarding may not see it as a problem, and this makes treatment challenging. Below are some tips to overcoming hoarding, pulled from Oprah.com:

1. Just because you can think of a use for an object, doesn't mean you need to keep it. If you haven't used an object in over a year, if you didn't know you had it until you found it, you can probably live without it.
2. More is not necessarily better. Try to get rid of the extras.
3. Categorize items into piles. A pile of things to keep, to donate, to sell or give away, and to throw away, but don't make too many piles and stress yourself out.
4. Don't overthink. If the decision takes you more than a couple of minutes for a particular object, you're making it too complicated.
5. Learn to get past the imperfections- you don't have to do a perfect job, just a good enough job.
6. Only Handle It Once (OHIO). If you pick something up, make a decision and put it where it belongs.
7. Be brave. The people who gain the most are usually those who are willing to risk the most.
8. Understand what you're afraid of, and recognize when your fears are irrational. Ask yourself, what's the worst that can happen if I throw this out? How bad would that really be? Then discard it and watch for whether or not that bad thing happened.
9. Be patient. No one overcomes compulsive hoarding overnight. Take it one room at a time.
10. Keep the ball rolling. Clean things as they come along before they become overwhelming problems. Once you start, don't stop. Create a pattern, 5 minutes a day, 30 minutes...
11. Be strict with yourself. Promise yourself a reward for doing it.
12. Know when to ask for help. Compulsive hoarding is a potentially serious mental health issue. If you can overcome it on your own, great. If you can't, get help from someone who has experienced it.

For further information, visit WebMD.

September is National Preparedness Month

9/7/2016 (Permalink)

Consider ways that you can prepare for potential emergencies during National Preparedness Month

Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? National Preparedness month encourages individuals be prepared for potential emergency situations. The more that you are prepared for the unexpected, the more equipped you will be to deal with situations quickly and effectively and to limit the damage. AT SERVPRO we understand the challenges and stresses of unexpected disaster. National Preparedness Month is a great time to put together readiness plans for potential emergency situations that could affect your home or business. It is a time to consider how your family could stay in touch if separated when an emergency occurs, how you can work together with your neighbors and community in a disaster situation, and how you can assist those who are particularly vulnerable during an emergency, such as children and older adults. The best way to mitigate a disaster is to be prepared! You can find lots of great resources at https://www.ready.gov/september.

September 1 starts National Preparedness Month

9/5/2014 (Permalink)

Today is the first day of National Preparedness Month! This week will focus on How To reconnect with your family after a disaster? Make sure your family has a family emergency communication plan. How will you reconnect with each other? Where will you meet? What if your neighborhood is being evacuated? Communicating with your friends and family when a disaster occurs is important to make sure everyone is safe. This is why having both an evacuation and communication plan is important. Have peace of mind when a disaster strikes and create your evacuation and emergency communication plans. Ready to make a plan? Start today by visiting http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan