October 5, 2025 • 29 mins
The Red Cross has tips for Fire Prevention and Safety week to keep you and your family safe. The Port of Portland will have a new operator for Terminal 6 which is important to the Northwest's economy. Tips to keep your house from being damaged by fall and winter weather.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford. This week the
Red Cross wants to help keep you safe and your
home in the event of a fire. We'll find out
what you can do to keep you and your family safe.
The Poort importin is getting a new operator for Terminal six.
It's where cargo containers are imported and exported. Why is
it important and what does it mean for the Northwest economy. Plus,
(00:27):
we'll tell you about steps you can take now that
can reduce the risk of fall and winter weather damage
to your home. This is Fire Prevention Week and the
Red Cross wants you to be prepared. Rebecca Marshall for
the Red Cross Cascades Ragent joins us on Local Voices.
How is a Red Cross marking Fire Prevention Week?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hi brad Well, you know we know that fires can
happen at any time. Sadly, home fires claim lives every
single day, seven lives every single day, and as temperatures
cool down and people start spending more time inside, we
think this is a perfect time to talk about keeping
your family safe and for us, that starts with installing
working smoke alarms and then getting an escape plan in
(01:11):
place to practice with your families.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
So let's talk about smoke alarms. Where should we put
them in? How often should we change the batteries?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
We get these questions all the time, So at minimum,
you want to have a smoke alarm on every level
of your home. Include smoke alarms inside the bedrooms.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
That's important because if you're sleeping, you it may not
be aware that there's a fire unless that alarm goes
off in hallways outside of bedrooms is important as well
as for batteries. Now, we know that we've always said,
you know, check the battery and change out the battery
every year.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Newer smoke alarm models have.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Ten year lithium batteries, but that doesn't mean we don't
still check them, right, You have to make sure that
they're working, So we still encourage people to check the
battery once a month. And after ten years, regardless of
what kind of a smoke alarm that you have, you
really should replace.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
The entire smoke alarm. You know, the sensors can get
worn down. And you know, when we.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Put smoke alarms in bread we put the date on
it so you can remember when you put it in
and just know that after ten years you should replace
the whole feature exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And if you put your own one detector and do
the same thing, just write the date on it and
then you know as far as testing them is it
just is it good enough to be able to hit
the test button?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yep, it really is. It'll tell you.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
And oftentimes you know if you'll hear that chirp and
you know the battery is going bad. If you hear
that chirp, that's definitely a time to replace the battery.
But if it's not making any sound, you assume it's working.
So to go in there and press that test button.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Of course, plug your ears.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It'll go off right in your ears, but it's important
to do that to make sure it's still functioning.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Yeah, sure, drives me crazy. Never fails that. It's not
in the middle of the night and you're walking around
the house and you hear beep and like a minute
later beep and you're trying to figure out where is it. Well,
look at the smoke detector. It is probably that. All right,
we should have an escape plan. What does that look
like or what how should we develop it?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Well, in every room of your house, you really should
have two different ways to escape.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
So is that a window or a door, or maybe.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It's two doors, but that's really important to just do
a walk through and check that kind of thing out. Also,
you know know that smoke rises and smoke is dangerous,
and so if you want to practice an escape drill
with your family, and I recommend that you do, make
it fun. I know that sounds silly, but I did
it with my kids. Put the little stop watch out
and time everybody to see how fast you can get outside.
(03:35):
That's really important. Once you are outside, where are you
going to meet? I mean this is a big thing
because if you're if you came home and your house
was you know, in rubble, or the firefighters were there,
would you know that your family got out safely.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
So it's important to have a meeting spot.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Is it the neighbor's house, a tree down the street,
you know where you all the famous oak tree tree
at the end of the block, that kind of thing,
so you know that everybody got out. I often times
we talked about the beep and the sound alarm and
how loud it can be. With little kids, teach them
what to sound a smoke alarm sounds like push the button,
let it go off, and then practice running out. So
(04:10):
if they hear that smoke alarm, they have that muscle
memory to know.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
It's time to get out of the house. And that's
really important too.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
So what if a person can't afford smoke alarms or
doesn't know if the ones they have.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Are working, Well, that's where we come in because we
actually install free smoke alarms. Now many people don't know this,
but we do this year round, and we have a
feature event every year called the National Sound the Alarm Event.
And what we'll do is we'll come to different neighborhoods,
we'll bring free smoke alarms, and we'll go over what
we just talked about in each person's specific house so
(04:44):
we can show them here's where you would want to
go and here's what would work for you in this house.
So we're going to the Maywood Park and Park Rowse
neighborhoods on October eighteenth, and we'll be installing free smoke
alarms all around those neighborhoods those days.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
So this National Standing the Alarm Event, we're.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Asking people to go to Redcross dot org slash Cascades
I'll say it again, Red Cross dot Org Slash Cascades
and just sign up and we'll come to your homes
that day. If you don't live in that neighborhood, sign
up anyway, because again we'll be doing this year round.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So what role does the Red Cross play following a
fire and how many fires a year do you respond to?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Well, it's pretty amazing when you think about it. On average,
we respond to about seven hundred and forty fires helm
fires specifically in our region and that means Oregon.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
In southwest Washington.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
So what we'll do is we'll get notification from a
fire department and we'll come out and see what kind
of needs people have at that time. Sometimes it's you know,
my glasses burnt up, or my wheelchairs inside, or I
need some connection with some casework or something like that,
so we'll help people with that. Also, in many cases
(05:56):
a modest financial contribution as well to help people get
on our feet, whether it's a hotel room or transportation.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
But we're proud.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Of Sometimes people don't need anything from us materially, but
sometimes just showing up and giving them that Red Cross
hug that we're so proud of is a key part
of what we do.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Do you need volunteers to help with that?
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Always? Always, always.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
I mean, we're a volunteer run, so ninety percent of
what we do is volunteer run, which is pretty amazing
when you think about that. People retire and they come
join us, People want to build their resumes, Younger people
and they come join us, and just people that want
to give back do something a little different. So I'm
just going to send everybody to Redcross dot org slash
Cascades broken record, Redcross dot org slash Cascades and you
(06:40):
can find out how to come join us.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
It's really really rewarding.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, besides the volunteering at fire scenes, what other roles
can volunteers play at the Red Cross?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Well they Oh, boy, Brad, there's such a long list.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
We call it choose your own adventure because if you
work in a warehouse so you don't want to have
people facing volunteer work, that's fine. We have drivers that
deliver blood to hospitals all over the state. We have
blood ambassadors who sit at a table and check you
in when you come to donate. Again, going back to
our disaster Action Team or home fire responders, shelter workers.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
I mean, the list really goes on and on.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
You know, fall is such a busy time, especially with
kids going back to school, it must disrupt blood donations.
The Red Cross always needs donors, but is this an
important time of the year to make a blood or
platelet donation.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
It really is, Brad And I mean, here's what we say.
There is a steady drumbeat of need for blood. The
need for blood just doesn't change. It's needed in emergencies,
which happen all the time in hospitals.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Surgeries happen all the time, not always, but sometimes in
pregnancy deliveries. And it's amazing to know how many people
with long term illnesses like sickle cell disease and other things,
they need a lot of blood through their lifetime. One
in seven hospital visits require a blood transfusion. That number
always astounds me. So the need is constant. And so
(08:00):
what we're trying to recognize right now is fall is
here and a lot of our routines are changing that
kids are back to school, some people are back to work.
But we just wanted to make sure we're letting people
know that the blood need is out there and we
want to keep blood donation.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Top of mind.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
So what's the process like for donating blood? Walk us
through it?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Easy, especially now if you get a rapid pass, which
I'll talk about in a second, but generally speaking, you
just go to redcrossblood dot org and then you can
type in your zip code and then they'll populate all
these different opportunities for you to give blood in your area,
so you don't have to go too far to do it.
Once you sign up, you can come on in. You
take about ten minutes for screening. They really want to
(08:40):
make sure that you're feeling well, you don't have a fever,
you're not sick.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
There are some things that.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Would you know that you would would disqualify you for
giving blood, but most of the time you will be
able to donate blood.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
You'd be surprised.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
So when you come on in after your screening, and
by the way, everybody's asked the same screening questions if
you've donated before, you'll be the same questions again. Once
you come on in, you'll sit down, little tiny pick
pin prick. As the needle goes in, you donate blood
takes less than ten minutes. I've got people here at
the office that brag about how fast they can donate,
but it's.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Not a race.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
At the end, you'll have some snacks and some juice
offered to you, which is really encouraged to get your
blood sugar back up and ready to go. And it
literally takes for many people, most people less than an hour.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Now, there are also platelet donations. What are those you
used for? And what's involved with that process?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Most platelet donations go to cancer patients. And the thing
that's sad about platelets is they don't have a very
long shelf life, so that need is very great. You
can only keep platelets on the shelf for about five days.
Think about that's that's a fast turnaround. A platelet donation
takes about two hours. It's a little bit longer because
(09:53):
they're taking the blood, pulling the platelets, and putting the
rest of the product back into your body. But as
I talk to people, it's a chance to watch a
movie or just have some downtime, maybe take a nap, relax,
and you're out of there. Same screening process, brad, so
coming in and going out, it's the same.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
So for blood drives, how do I find a nearby
blood drive?
Speaker 5 (10:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
So easy. Red crossblood dot org. Red crossblood dot org.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
You can also download the app, which I kind of
like if you download our Red Cross at your app stores,
our Red Cross Blood app. It will tell you your
reminding your blood type, when was the last time you donated,
how many gallons have you donated in a lifetime, all
those kinds of things right there on an app which
is so easy. So you can download that as well.
And if it's not high tech world for you, you
(10:40):
just want to go back to calling in, you can
do that too by calling one eight hundred Red Cross.
All those ways you can find out where to donate blood.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Great anything else you want to add, you.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Know, just that two things, I guess since we're talking
about a couple of things here again, just reminding people
that even you know, I want you.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
To sit on your couch and go, oh, that's right.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I haven't donated blood in a long time, regardless of
the season, because the need is year round. We'll start there.
As for smoke alarms, smoke alarms are your first line
of defense. Make sure your smoke alarms are working to
really instill that you and your family get out of
your home safely if you have to.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Rebecca, thanks for joining us on local voices.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I appreciate you so much. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
That's Rebecca Marshall with the Red Cross Cascades Region Online.
Go to Redcross dot org slash Cascades to learn more
about Fire Prevention Week and blood donation. The Port of
Portland is moving forward to the plan to increase shipping
at Terminal six. It's the ports terminal where cargo containers
(11:40):
are imported and exported. It plays a major role in
the Northwest economy. The Port is signed a contract with
Harbor Industrial to manage operations. Harbor Industrial's chief operating Officer,
Tim McCarthy joins us on local voices. What's Harbor Industrial's
role in running Terminal six.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Harbor Industrial has been part of the Port of Portland
since twenty fourteen and in twenty eighteen we really stepped
up to a bigger role where we took over the
Stevedorian operations for the terminal and since then we've been
operating the terminal with all the ISLW labor on site
and management as well. But the Port has always carried
the commercial side and the marketing side and done the
(12:18):
relationship between the carriers and the customers, and then we
worked for the Port of Portland operating the facility. Today's
milestone agreement is now we are going to lease the
facility and we have a long term agreement. It's upwards
of twenty seven years for the whole life of it.
There's extensions within there, so it is a very long
(12:39):
term agreement and Harbor Industrial will now lease the facility
and the port will become a landlord, and there's still
the partnership with the port. Port's still going to be
very involved in the trade in the state of Oregon,
but we will take on a much larger role where
we are responsible for every aspect of the business and
the customer relationships and the commercial side the operation. So
(13:02):
you know, over the years, we've established a relationship with ISLWU,
we recovered from a lot of the roller coaster events
with labor down there at the docks, and we've given
confidence back to the shippers that the Port of Portland
Terminal six is a safe place to come. And now
with this agreement, it'll give stability to the shipping industry
in the state of Oregon and start bringing more of
(13:23):
the cargo back through the state.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
So, how is Harbor Industrial's way of managing operations different
than the previous operator.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
We do have a different relationship. It's a very personal
relationship with labor.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
We're very close with them. I'm personally Oregonian, born and
raised in Oregon.
Speaker 6 (13:40):
I'm very close with the ISLEWU leadership and officers and
the guys boots on the ground. You know, they do
their work. There's pride in their work, you know some
of the I would never want to throw mud at
the previous operators, but we are different and we've built
a relationship where they want to come to work, they
want to see it succeed. It's a joint effort for
(14:03):
it to succeed. Whereas before it was very much a
battle between the operator and labor. That does not exist anymore,
and we've proven that through our operations and the productivity
that we have at the facility. And so now the
big step is getting through the milestone today to where
we can move forward with the shipping industry and make
(14:25):
a statement that the Terminal six Container Terminal and Oregon's
Container Terminal will be open for a long time into
the future.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So you answered my next question. It sounds like longshoreman
will continue to then staff and operate the cranes and
the equipment moving the containers, that kind of thing.
Speaker 6 (14:44):
Yeah, So the ISLEWU we're a PMA member Harbor Industrial,
so we're committed to using the ISLEW. We're contractually bound
with them, and we do operations up and down the
West Coast with the isle WU, So we have a
lot of familiarity with other terminals with all the ISLEW contracts,
and so yeah, we believe that it can be very successful.
(15:06):
With the ISLEW that are in place and the relationship
and the work ethic that's there today, it will succeed.
And you know, this is not a new operation for
us at all, because we've been operating it. We've been
there now for eleven years, and so all the employees
will be the same employees. Our management team will be
the same management team. It's just kind of the higher
level commercial side will change.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
But for the.
Speaker 6 (15:29):
Customers, for the importer exporters in the state of Oregon,
they really shouldn't see a change. And our plan is
to just to grow the cargo that needs to ship
through Oregon.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Let's ship it through Oregon. That's our plan. Maybe I
mentioned this earlier, but over the last eleven years, what's
ben Harbor Industrial's role at the pint.
Speaker 6 (15:50):
Our role for the last eleven years. It started off
in the very beginning as an engineering out we were
the engineering company that provided the maintenance and engineering on
the container cranes and all the bling stock within the
equipment or within the terminal. That's one of our expertise
up and down the West Coast as we provide engineering services,
maintenance and repair to all steved or handling equipment. In
(16:11):
twenty eighteen, in partnership with the Port of Portland and
the BNSF, we started up the Short Rail System short
rail line from Seattle, Tacoma down to the Port of
Portland to move rail cargo up and down the West Coast.
That was very successful. We were able to prove that
we've fixed a lot of the previous problems with the
labor that was there, and together with sm Lines, we're
(16:35):
able to restart the Marine Transpacific container shipping into the
state of Oregon which had stopped and then for the
last few years. SM Lines is still our flagship liner
that calls to the Port of Portland and they have
full intentions of staying and growing. They spoke today during
the Commission Hearing that their volumes are increasing, their customer
(16:57):
base is growing. We also have HMM, another Korean miner
that is calling to the Port of Portland and MSc
is still there as well, although they have positive service,
but they have expectations of coming back. And then our
goal is Harbor Industrial jointly with the Port of Portland
and their trade groups is too is to grow the
relationships with other ports in Japan, South Asia and Europe
(17:19):
and grow our business, increase the rail service, intermotive service
going to the inland United States, and then also hopefully
eventually reopened the barge service that used to be in
the state of Oregon. So there's a lot of growth plans.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Years ago, the port ran the operation. Kimberly Branham is
the Chief Trade and Economic Development Officer of the Port
of Portland. Kimberly, why doesn't make sense for an outside
company like Harbor Industrial to take over operations?
Speaker 5 (17:46):
We have been the operator and the owner of the
terminal six container asset and that is a very unusual
position for a port authority to have. In fact, we
believe that we're the only poor authority on the West
Coast that owns and operates the container terminal. It's much
(18:06):
more normal and it's just it really works better to
have a private operator, private sector partners are generally more flexible,
able to take some of the market fluctuations that we
experience and to be able to pivot more quickly. That's
challenging for us on the public sector. And so while
(18:27):
we have, as Tim mentioned, really done a great job
in collaboration with a number of partners to keep container
operations open since twenty eighteen, we acknowledge that we are
not best positioned to be the long term operator, and
so we're really grateful to Harbor Industrial for taking that
on and taking on as well the associated investments in
(18:52):
capital that need to happen in order for us to
have a twenty first century terminal and the right cranes,
and so as a private partner has access to capital
that they will be able to invest in a way
that is just more challenging for the public sector.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Kimberly talk to us about why this deal is so
important for Oregon. Having the ability to import an export
right out of the terminal six.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
Absolutely so, you know, trade is just a big part
of what makes Oregon organ We're among one of the
most trade dependent states in the country. That means that
Oregon businesses produce more goods and services that our farms
produce more berries and things than Oregonians use, and so
it is imperative that our businesses have access to markets
(19:44):
and that they are able to do so in a
cost effective, efficient way, and in a predictable way. We
know that one in eight Oregon jobs are tied to
international trade, and we think about sixteen hundred jobs in
the region are directly supported by these container operations Terminal six.
So keeping the container terminal open means that we keep
(20:05):
those sixteen hundred jobs, We keep the cost down for
Oregon businesses that choose to ship through the terminal, and
another great benefit is that emissions are reduced. You know,
it's much more effective for us to ship straight out
of Portland than it is to truck things up to
Seattle Tacoma. That's a lot fewer trucks on the road.
(20:28):
So there are a number of benefits that we believe
will continue with this agreement.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
I've got about fifty seconds left. So whoever can take
this how long until we start to see at increase
then in shipping operations.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Well go ahead and take it. You know, we're going
to be aggressive about the growth where our transition will
take place. At the first of the year, but in
between now and then we expect to see some growth. Now,
obviously the end of the year there's always a reduction
because all the cargoes pretty much already showed up for
Christmas time right now. But we have our shipping partners
with sm Lines HMM and others. They're already expressing substantial
(21:06):
growth in commodities going through the Port of Portland, so
we expect it to start increasing right away and we
have a pretty aggressive plan to hopefully double our cargo
going through the port within the next year or two.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
That's Tim McCarthy, the Chief operating officer for Harbor Industrial.
The company is selected by the Port of Portland to
operate Terminal six where cargo containers are imported and exported,
along with Kimberly Branham, chief Trade and Economic Development Officer
at the Port of Portland. Fall and winter can be
(21:39):
tough on homes. There are steps you can take now
that will help reduce the risk of costly damage. Kent
and Brian with the Northwest Insurance Council joins us at
Local Voices Katon What should we do to prepare for
fall and winter weather?
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Well, a big one is clearing gutters. You know, we
get a lot of effectually in urban areas, there are
a lot of street trees, and those trees lose their leaves,
they get in your gutters, and if they clog your gutter,
and then we have a serious freezing event, which has
happened several times at least four times in the last
seven or eight years in important area, those gutters freeze solid,
(22:13):
the water can't escape, and then the gutters separate from
under the eaves of your house, and that can cause
water to seep in and cause damage to your home.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
What should we think about as far as trees, do
we need to trim them up before winter and fall?
Speaker 3 (22:26):
It's certainly a good idea to trim trees that are
close to your house so that you don't have branches
overhanging the eaves and gutters of your home. Also, if
you trim those trees a bit, you're going to be
less susceptible to damage from high winds which we get
in the Northwest in the fall and winter.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
What about pipes, Is it mainly pipes that are outside
or do we need to be concerned with pipes inside
as well?
Speaker 3 (22:52):
The pipes outside your house that are exposed to cold
weather should be wrapped with some kind of heat tape
or in. You can buy those styrofoam covers to put
over outdoor faucets and those are that's always a good idea.
Inside your house, it's just really important if you have
exposed pipe in an attic or a basement, you might
(23:14):
want to wrap those as well. But it's also important
just to keep your temperature internally in your house to
at least sixty five degrees when it's really cold outside,
so that you can prevent freezing pipes from bursting.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
And so if we do have a burst pipe, what
should we do.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Well? If you do have a burst pipe in your home,
if it's inside your house or attached to your house,
it's likely going to be covered by insurance if it
causes damage. But the first thing to do is before
winter comes is do that maintenance work, but also check
with your insurance agent or your company to make sure
you know what your policy covers.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Is it a good idea to know how to turn
off your water Maine?
Speaker 3 (23:55):
It's critically important that you know where the water main is,
either inside or outside your house, to make sure that
if freezing weather comes and your pipes do freeze, you
can turn those You can turn those off and prevent
serious damage to your home.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Is this a better time of the year to get
your furnace service to make sure it's going to work
during the wintertime.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Yes, it is a good idea to to have your
furnace check annually, and this is the right time of
year to do it. I think a lot of furnace
companies around the Northwest to offer specials this time of
year to come in and inspect your your furnace and
water heater to make sure they're in good working order.
You don't want to have a furnace or water heater
fail after a storm, because that's when they're all going
(24:39):
to be super busy repairing other people's furnaces and water heaters.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Is it a good idea is kind of walk around
your house and look for signs of potential problems, like,
you know, maybe a stain and a ceiling.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
One of the telltale signs if you have a leakage
problem from your roof or exterior walls is discoloration or
cracks in in the walls of your home. It's a
good idea to walk around and take a look and
see if you see any of that discoloration, you know,
now's the time of year to do some home maintenance
work before the winter storms come. And it's important for
(25:15):
people to understand that you insurance views their policy with
the homeowner as a partnership. And if there are things
that are preventable from causing damage that you can do now,
that's going to make your home safer, but also it's
going to prevent you from having any losses that are
questioned by your insurer. If you've done everything you can
(25:37):
to keep your home in good shape, then if you
suffer a loss, you're going to have that loss taken
care of by the insured much more easily than if
there's a debate about whether or not you should have
done some work to maintain your home before the storms came.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Yeah, insurance covers some things and doesn't cover others. What
are some things that are not covered by insurance?
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Well, flooding from outside your home is typically not covered.
So if it's a rising river or even sewer backup
from outside the home, unless you have a rider on
your policy, that kind of damage is typically not covered
by an insurance policy. You can get a writer for
sewer backup coverage and flood of insurance is typically available
(26:20):
from the National Flood Insurance Program or some private insurers
also offer it, but it's not included in your homeowner's policy. Similarly,
and this is important for homes around the Northwest in particular,
where we see sometimes after heavy rains, will see slide activity.
Earth movement which includes slides and sinkholes and mudflow are
(26:43):
not covered under your standard home owners policy and you
have to consider getting a different difference in conditions policy
from a specialty lines insurer if you believe your home
is susceptible to landslides or earth movement.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Is the reasoning for that kind of like a flood
water coming in from outside of your home.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Well, typically, typically if it's water coming inside your home
from outside, whether that's caused by heavy rains or rising rivers,
et cetera, that is going to be a flood insurance policy.
But if you actually if heavy rains cause the earth
to move around you, whether that's a sinkhole or a
mud slide or a landslide, that is going to be
(27:25):
a difference in conditions policy that you need to cover
that loss.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Interesting two different kinds. What happens if my tree falls
on my neighbor's house.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
You know that's a question. We get a lot. If
your neighbor's tree falls on your house, or your own
tree falls on your house, it's the same. Your insurance policy.
Your homeowner's insurance policy is going to provide coverage for
the damage to your structure caused by a tree, regardless
of where the tree was sitting when it fell. And similarly,
(27:56):
if a tree on your property falls on your neighbor's house,
it's the insurance policy that's going to cover their damages. Now,
there may be some subrogation between those insurance companies after
the loss occurs, but that's up to the companies to
figure out and you're not involved in that.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
So what happens if my car has parked in my
driveway and a tree falls on the car.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Well, if a tree falls on your car, that's going
to be on your car's policy. So that's going to
be a comprehensive coverage issue. Most people do have comprehensive
coverage on their vehicles, especially if they're newer and they're
still paying for the car loan or the lease payment,
and it's a no fault coverage. It doesn't matter what
(28:38):
caused that to occur, but that's going to fall under
comprehensive insurance coverage. So it's a good idea. If you
have an older car and you're only carrying liability insurance,
you might want to know that you can also get
comprehensive coverage, which is not expensive. It might be somewhere
between five and fifteen dollars a month to add that
(28:59):
coverage and make sure you're covered in case of it
also covers your vehicle if it's stolen or if there's
a hit and run in a parking lot.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Kenton, thanks for joining us on Local Voices. That's Katon
Bryan with a Northwest Insurance council and tips on what
you can do around your home had a fallen winter
weather to prevent costly damage. Thanks for listening to Local Voices.
I'm brad Ford. You can hear past episodes on the
iHeartRadio app under the podcast tab. Local Voices is a
(29:28):
public affairs presentation from iHeartRadio.
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford. This week the
Red Cross wants to help keep you safe and your
home in the event of a fire. We'll find out
what you can do to keep you and your family safe.
The Poort importin is getting a new operator for Terminal six.
It's where cargo containers are imported and exported. Why is
it important and what does it mean for the Northwest economy. Plus,
(00:27):
we'll tell you about steps you can take now that
can reduce the risk of fall and winter weather damage
to your home. This is Fire Prevention Week and the
Red Cross wants you to be prepared. Rebecca Marshall for
the Red Cross Cascades Ragent joins us on Local Voices.
How is a Red Cross marking Fire Prevention Week?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hi brad Well, you know we know that fires can
happen at any time. Sadly, home fires claim lives every
single day, seven lives every single day, and as temperatures
cool down and people start spending more time inside, we
think this is a perfect time to talk about keeping
your family safe and for us, that starts with installing
working smoke alarms and then getting an escape plan in
(01:11):
place to practice with your families.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
So let's talk about smoke alarms. Where should we put
them in? How often should we change the batteries?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
We get these questions all the time, So at minimum,
you want to have a smoke alarm on every level
of your home. Include smoke alarms inside the bedrooms.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
That's important because if you're sleeping, you it may not
be aware that there's a fire unless that alarm goes
off in hallways outside of bedrooms is important as well
as for batteries. Now, we know that we've always said,
you know, check the battery and change out the battery
every year.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Newer smoke alarm models have.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Ten year lithium batteries, but that doesn't mean we don't
still check them, right, You have to make sure that
they're working, So we still encourage people to check the
battery once a month. And after ten years, regardless of
what kind of a smoke alarm that you have, you
really should replace.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
The entire smoke alarm. You know, the sensors can get
worn down. And you know, when we.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Put smoke alarms in bread we put the date on
it so you can remember when you put it in
and just know that after ten years you should replace
the whole feature exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And if you put your own one detector and do
the same thing, just write the date on it and
then you know as far as testing them is it
just is it good enough to be able to hit
the test button?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yep, it really is. It'll tell you.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
And oftentimes you know if you'll hear that chirp and
you know the battery is going bad. If you hear
that chirp, that's definitely a time to replace the battery.
But if it's not making any sound, you assume it's working.
So to go in there and press that test button.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Of course, plug your ears.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It'll go off right in your ears, but it's important
to do that to make sure it's still functioning.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Yeah, sure, drives me crazy. Never fails that. It's not
in the middle of the night and you're walking around
the house and you hear beep and like a minute
later beep and you're trying to figure out where is it. Well,
look at the smoke detector. It is probably that. All right,
we should have an escape plan. What does that look
like or what how should we develop it?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Well, in every room of your house, you really should
have two different ways to escape.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
So is that a window or a door, or maybe.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It's two doors, but that's really important to just do
a walk through and check that kind of thing out. Also,
you know know that smoke rises and smoke is dangerous,
and so if you want to practice an escape drill
with your family, and I recommend that you do, make
it fun. I know that sounds silly, but I did
it with my kids. Put the little stop watch out
and time everybody to see how fast you can get outside.
(03:35):
That's really important. Once you are outside, where are you
going to meet? I mean this is a big thing
because if you're if you came home and your house
was you know, in rubble, or the firefighters were there,
would you know that your family got out safely.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
So it's important to have a meeting spot.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Is it the neighbor's house, a tree down the street,
you know where you all the famous oak tree tree
at the end of the block, that kind of thing,
so you know that everybody got out. I often times
we talked about the beep and the sound alarm and
how loud it can be. With little kids, teach them
what to sound a smoke alarm sounds like push the button,
let it go off, and then practice running out. So
(04:10):
if they hear that smoke alarm, they have that muscle
memory to know.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
It's time to get out of the house. And that's
really important too.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
So what if a person can't afford smoke alarms or
doesn't know if the ones they have.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Are working, Well, that's where we come in because we
actually install free smoke alarms. Now many people don't know this,
but we do this year round, and we have a
feature event every year called the National Sound the Alarm Event.
And what we'll do is we'll come to different neighborhoods,
we'll bring free smoke alarms, and we'll go over what
we just talked about in each person's specific house so
(04:44):
we can show them here's where you would want to
go and here's what would work for you in this house.
So we're going to the Maywood Park and Park Rowse
neighborhoods on October eighteenth, and we'll be installing free smoke
alarms all around those neighborhoods those days.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
So this National Standing the Alarm Event, we're.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Asking people to go to Redcross dot org slash Cascades
I'll say it again, Red Cross dot Org Slash Cascades
and just sign up and we'll come to your homes
that day. If you don't live in that neighborhood, sign
up anyway, because again we'll be doing this year round.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So what role does the Red Cross play following a
fire and how many fires a year do you respond to?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Well, it's pretty amazing when you think about it. On average,
we respond to about seven hundred and forty fires helm
fires specifically in our region and that means Oregon.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
In southwest Washington.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
So what we'll do is we'll get notification from a
fire department and we'll come out and see what kind
of needs people have at that time. Sometimes it's you know,
my glasses burnt up, or my wheelchairs inside, or I
need some connection with some casework or something like that,
so we'll help people with that. Also, in many cases
(05:56):
a modest financial contribution as well to help people get
on our feet, whether it's a hotel room or transportation.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
But we're proud.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Of Sometimes people don't need anything from us materially, but
sometimes just showing up and giving them that Red Cross
hug that we're so proud of is a key part
of what we do.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Do you need volunteers to help with that?
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Always? Always, always.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
I mean, we're a volunteer run, so ninety percent of
what we do is volunteer run, which is pretty amazing
when you think about that. People retire and they come
join us, People want to build their resumes, Younger people
and they come join us, and just people that want
to give back do something a little different. So I'm
just going to send everybody to Redcross dot org slash
Cascades broken record, Redcross dot org slash Cascades and you
(06:40):
can find out how to come join us.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
It's really really rewarding.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, besides the volunteering at fire scenes, what other roles
can volunteers play at the Red Cross?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Well they Oh, boy, Brad, there's such a long list.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
We call it choose your own adventure because if you
work in a warehouse so you don't want to have
people facing volunteer work, that's fine. We have drivers that
deliver blood to hospitals all over the state. We have
blood ambassadors who sit at a table and check you
in when you come to donate. Again, going back to
our disaster Action Team or home fire responders, shelter workers.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
I mean, the list really goes on and on.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
You know, fall is such a busy time, especially with
kids going back to school, it must disrupt blood donations.
The Red Cross always needs donors, but is this an
important time of the year to make a blood or
platelet donation.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
It really is, Brad And I mean, here's what we say.
There is a steady drumbeat of need for blood. The
need for blood just doesn't change. It's needed in emergencies,
which happen all the time in hospitals.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Surgeries happen all the time, not always, but sometimes in
pregnancy deliveries. And it's amazing to know how many people
with long term illnesses like sickle cell disease and other things,
they need a lot of blood through their lifetime. One
in seven hospital visits require a blood transfusion. That number
always astounds me. So the need is constant. And so
(08:00):
what we're trying to recognize right now is fall is
here and a lot of our routines are changing that
kids are back to school, some people are back to work.
But we just wanted to make sure we're letting people
know that the blood need is out there and we
want to keep blood donation.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Top of mind.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
So what's the process like for donating blood? Walk us
through it?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Easy, especially now if you get a rapid pass, which
I'll talk about in a second, but generally speaking, you
just go to redcrossblood dot org and then you can
type in your zip code and then they'll populate all
these different opportunities for you to give blood in your area,
so you don't have to go too far to do it.
Once you sign up, you can come on in. You
take about ten minutes for screening. They really want to
(08:40):
make sure that you're feeling well, you don't have a fever,
you're not sick.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
There are some things that.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Would you know that you would would disqualify you for
giving blood, but most of the time you will be
able to donate blood.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
You'd be surprised.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
So when you come on in after your screening, and
by the way, everybody's asked the same screening questions if
you've donated before, you'll be the same questions again. Once
you come on in, you'll sit down, little tiny pick
pin prick. As the needle goes in, you donate blood
takes less than ten minutes. I've got people here at
the office that brag about how fast they can donate,
but it's.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Not a race.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
At the end, you'll have some snacks and some juice
offered to you, which is really encouraged to get your
blood sugar back up and ready to go. And it
literally takes for many people, most people less than an hour.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Now, there are also platelet donations. What are those you
used for? And what's involved with that process?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Most platelet donations go to cancer patients. And the thing
that's sad about platelets is they don't have a very
long shelf life, so that need is very great. You
can only keep platelets on the shelf for about five days.
Think about that's that's a fast turnaround. A platelet donation
takes about two hours. It's a little bit longer because
(09:53):
they're taking the blood, pulling the platelets, and putting the
rest of the product back into your body. But as
I talk to people, it's a chance to watch a
movie or just have some downtime, maybe take a nap, relax,
and you're out of there. Same screening process, brad, so
coming in and going out, it's the same.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
So for blood drives, how do I find a nearby
blood drive?
Speaker 5 (10:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
So easy. Red crossblood dot org. Red crossblood dot org.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
You can also download the app, which I kind of
like if you download our Red Cross at your app stores,
our Red Cross Blood app. It will tell you your
reminding your blood type, when was the last time you donated,
how many gallons have you donated in a lifetime, all
those kinds of things right there on an app which
is so easy. So you can download that as well.
And if it's not high tech world for you, you
(10:40):
just want to go back to calling in, you can
do that too by calling one eight hundred Red Cross.
All those ways you can find out where to donate blood.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Great anything else you want to add, you.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Know, just that two things, I guess since we're talking
about a couple of things here again, just reminding people
that even you know, I want you.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
To sit on your couch and go, oh, that's right.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I haven't donated blood in a long time, regardless of
the season, because the need is year round. We'll start there.
As for smoke alarms, smoke alarms are your first line
of defense. Make sure your smoke alarms are working to
really instill that you and your family get out of
your home safely if you have to.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Rebecca, thanks for joining us on local voices.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I appreciate you so much. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
That's Rebecca Marshall with the Red Cross Cascades Region Online.
Go to Redcross dot org slash Cascades to learn more
about Fire Prevention Week and blood donation. The Port of
Portland is moving forward to the plan to increase shipping
at Terminal six. It's the ports terminal where cargo containers
(11:40):
are imported and exported. It plays a major role in
the Northwest economy. The Port is signed a contract with
Harbor Industrial to manage operations. Harbor Industrial's chief operating Officer,
Tim McCarthy joins us on local voices. What's Harbor Industrial's
role in running Terminal six.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Harbor Industrial has been part of the Port of Portland
since twenty fourteen and in twenty eighteen we really stepped
up to a bigger role where we took over the
Stevedorian operations for the terminal and since then we've been
operating the terminal with all the ISLW labor on site
and management as well. But the Port has always carried
the commercial side and the marketing side and done the
(12:18):
relationship between the carriers and the customers, and then we
worked for the Port of Portland operating the facility. Today's
milestone agreement is now we are going to lease the
facility and we have a long term agreement. It's upwards
of twenty seven years for the whole life of it.
There's extensions within there, so it is a very long
(12:39):
term agreement and Harbor Industrial will now lease the facility
and the port will become a landlord, and there's still
the partnership with the port. Port's still going to be
very involved in the trade in the state of Oregon,
but we will take on a much larger role where
we are responsible for every aspect of the business and
the customer relationships and the commercial side the operation. So
(13:02):
you know, over the years, we've established a relationship with ISLWU,
we recovered from a lot of the roller coaster events
with labor down there at the docks, and we've given
confidence back to the shippers that the Port of Portland
Terminal six is a safe place to come. And now
with this agreement, it'll give stability to the shipping industry
in the state of Oregon and start bringing more of
(13:23):
the cargo back through the state.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
So, how is Harbor Industrial's way of managing operations different
than the previous operator.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
We do have a different relationship. It's a very personal
relationship with labor.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
We're very close with them. I'm personally Oregonian, born and
raised in Oregon.
Speaker 6 (13:40):
I'm very close with the ISLEWU leadership and officers and
the guys boots on the ground. You know, they do
their work. There's pride in their work, you know some
of the I would never want to throw mud at
the previous operators, but we are different and we've built
a relationship where they want to come to work, they
want to see it succeed. It's a joint effort for
(14:03):
it to succeed. Whereas before it was very much a
battle between the operator and labor. That does not exist anymore,
and we've proven that through our operations and the productivity
that we have at the facility. And so now the
big step is getting through the milestone today to where
we can move forward with the shipping industry and make
(14:25):
a statement that the Terminal six Container Terminal and Oregon's
Container Terminal will be open for a long time into
the future.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So you answered my next question. It sounds like longshoreman
will continue to then staff and operate the cranes and
the equipment moving the containers, that kind of thing.
Speaker 6 (14:44):
Yeah, So the ISLEWU we're a PMA member Harbor Industrial,
so we're committed to using the ISLEW. We're contractually bound
with them, and we do operations up and down the
West Coast with the isle WU, So we have a
lot of familiarity with other terminals with all the ISLEW contracts,
and so yeah, we believe that it can be very successful.
(15:06):
With the ISLEW that are in place and the relationship
and the work ethic that's there today, it will succeed.
And you know, this is not a new operation for
us at all, because we've been operating it. We've been
there now for eleven years, and so all the employees
will be the same employees. Our management team will be
the same management team. It's just kind of the higher
level commercial side will change.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
But for the.
Speaker 6 (15:29):
Customers, for the importer exporters in the state of Oregon,
they really shouldn't see a change. And our plan is
to just to grow the cargo that needs to ship
through Oregon.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Let's ship it through Oregon. That's our plan. Maybe I
mentioned this earlier, but over the last eleven years, what's
ben Harbor Industrial's role at the pint.
Speaker 6 (15:50):
Our role for the last eleven years. It started off
in the very beginning as an engineering out we were
the engineering company that provided the maintenance and engineering on
the container cranes and all the bling stock within the
equipment or within the terminal. That's one of our expertise
up and down the West Coast as we provide engineering services,
maintenance and repair to all steved or handling equipment. In
(16:11):
twenty eighteen, in partnership with the Port of Portland and
the BNSF, we started up the Short Rail System short
rail line from Seattle, Tacoma down to the Port of
Portland to move rail cargo up and down the West Coast.
That was very successful. We were able to prove that
we've fixed a lot of the previous problems with the
labor that was there, and together with sm Lines, we're
(16:35):
able to restart the Marine Transpacific container shipping into the
state of Oregon which had stopped and then for the
last few years. SM Lines is still our flagship liner
that calls to the Port of Portland and they have
full intentions of staying and growing. They spoke today during
the Commission Hearing that their volumes are increasing, their customer
(16:57):
base is growing. We also have HMM, another Korean miner
that is calling to the Port of Portland and MSc
is still there as well, although they have positive service,
but they have expectations of coming back. And then our
goal is Harbor Industrial jointly with the Port of Portland
and their trade groups is too is to grow the
relationships with other ports in Japan, South Asia and Europe
(17:19):
and grow our business, increase the rail service, intermotive service
going to the inland United States, and then also hopefully
eventually reopened the barge service that used to be in
the state of Oregon. So there's a lot of growth plans.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Years ago, the port ran the operation. Kimberly Branham is
the Chief Trade and Economic Development Officer of the Port
of Portland. Kimberly, why doesn't make sense for an outside
company like Harbor Industrial to take over operations?
Speaker 5 (17:46):
We have been the operator and the owner of the
terminal six container asset and that is a very unusual
position for a port authority to have. In fact, we
believe that we're the only poor authority on the West
Coast that owns and operates the container terminal. It's much
(18:06):
more normal and it's just it really works better to
have a private operator, private sector partners are generally more flexible,
able to take some of the market fluctuations that we
experience and to be able to pivot more quickly. That's
challenging for us on the public sector. And so while
(18:27):
we have, as Tim mentioned, really done a great job
in collaboration with a number of partners to keep container
operations open since twenty eighteen, we acknowledge that we are
not best positioned to be the long term operator, and
so we're really grateful to Harbor Industrial for taking that
on and taking on as well the associated investments in
(18:52):
capital that need to happen in order for us to
have a twenty first century terminal and the right cranes,
and so as a private partner has access to capital
that they will be able to invest in a way
that is just more challenging for the public sector.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Kimberly talk to us about why this deal is so
important for Oregon. Having the ability to import an export
right out of the terminal six.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
Absolutely so, you know, trade is just a big part
of what makes Oregon organ We're among one of the
most trade dependent states in the country. That means that
Oregon businesses produce more goods and services that our farms
produce more berries and things than Oregonians use, and so
it is imperative that our businesses have access to markets
(19:44):
and that they are able to do so in a
cost effective, efficient way, and in a predictable way. We
know that one in eight Oregon jobs are tied to
international trade, and we think about sixteen hundred jobs in
the region are directly supported by these container operations Terminal six.
So keeping the container terminal open means that we keep
(20:05):
those sixteen hundred jobs, We keep the cost down for
Oregon businesses that choose to ship through the terminal, and
another great benefit is that emissions are reduced. You know,
it's much more effective for us to ship straight out
of Portland than it is to truck things up to
Seattle Tacoma. That's a lot fewer trucks on the road.
(20:28):
So there are a number of benefits that we believe
will continue with this agreement.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
I've got about fifty seconds left. So whoever can take
this how long until we start to see at increase
then in shipping operations.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Well go ahead and take it. You know, we're going
to be aggressive about the growth where our transition will
take place. At the first of the year, but in
between now and then we expect to see some growth. Now,
obviously the end of the year there's always a reduction
because all the cargoes pretty much already showed up for
Christmas time right now. But we have our shipping partners
with sm Lines HMM and others. They're already expressing substantial
(21:06):
growth in commodities going through the Port of Portland, so
we expect it to start increasing right away and we
have a pretty aggressive plan to hopefully double our cargo
going through the port within the next year or two.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
That's Tim McCarthy, the Chief operating officer for Harbor Industrial.
The company is selected by the Port of Portland to
operate Terminal six where cargo containers are imported and exported,
along with Kimberly Branham, chief Trade and Economic Development Officer
at the Port of Portland. Fall and winter can be
(21:39):
tough on homes. There are steps you can take now
that will help reduce the risk of costly damage. Kent
and Brian with the Northwest Insurance Council joins us at
Local Voices Katon What should we do to prepare for
fall and winter weather?
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Well, a big one is clearing gutters. You know, we
get a lot of effectually in urban areas, there are
a lot of street trees, and those trees lose their leaves,
they get in your gutters, and if they clog your gutter,
and then we have a serious freezing event, which has
happened several times at least four times in the last
seven or eight years in important area, those gutters freeze solid,
(22:13):
the water can't escape, and then the gutters separate from
under the eaves of your house, and that can cause
water to seep in and cause damage to your home.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
What should we think about as far as trees, do
we need to trim them up before winter and fall?
Speaker 3 (22:26):
It's certainly a good idea to trim trees that are
close to your house so that you don't have branches
overhanging the eaves and gutters of your home. Also, if
you trim those trees a bit, you're going to be
less susceptible to damage from high winds which we get
in the Northwest in the fall and winter.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
What about pipes, Is it mainly pipes that are outside
or do we need to be concerned with pipes inside
as well?
Speaker 3 (22:52):
The pipes outside your house that are exposed to cold
weather should be wrapped with some kind of heat tape
or in. You can buy those styrofoam covers to put
over outdoor faucets and those are that's always a good idea.
Inside your house, it's just really important if you have
exposed pipe in an attic or a basement, you might
(23:14):
want to wrap those as well. But it's also important
just to keep your temperature internally in your house to
at least sixty five degrees when it's really cold outside,
so that you can prevent freezing pipes from bursting.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
And so if we do have a burst pipe, what
should we do.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Well? If you do have a burst pipe in your home,
if it's inside your house or attached to your house,
it's likely going to be covered by insurance if it
causes damage. But the first thing to do is before
winter comes is do that maintenance work, but also check
with your insurance agent or your company to make sure
you know what your policy covers.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Is it a good idea to know how to turn
off your water Maine?
Speaker 3 (23:55):
It's critically important that you know where the water main is,
either inside or outside your house, to make sure that
if freezing weather comes and your pipes do freeze, you
can turn those You can turn those off and prevent
serious damage to your home.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Is this a better time of the year to get
your furnace service to make sure it's going to work
during the wintertime.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Yes, it is a good idea to to have your
furnace check annually, and this is the right time of
year to do it. I think a lot of furnace
companies around the Northwest to offer specials this time of
year to come in and inspect your your furnace and
water heater to make sure they're in good working order.
You don't want to have a furnace or water heater
fail after a storm, because that's when they're all going
(24:39):
to be super busy repairing other people's furnaces and water heaters.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Is it a good idea is kind of walk around
your house and look for signs of potential problems, like,
you know, maybe a stain and a ceiling.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
One of the telltale signs if you have a leakage
problem from your roof or exterior walls is discoloration or
cracks in in the walls of your home. It's a
good idea to walk around and take a look and
see if you see any of that discoloration, you know,
now's the time of year to do some home maintenance
work before the winter storms come. And it's important for
(25:15):
people to understand that you insurance views their policy with
the homeowner as a partnership. And if there are things
that are preventable from causing damage that you can do now,
that's going to make your home safer, but also it's
going to prevent you from having any losses that are
questioned by your insurer. If you've done everything you can
(25:37):
to keep your home in good shape, then if you
suffer a loss, you're going to have that loss taken
care of by the insured much more easily than if
there's a debate about whether or not you should have
done some work to maintain your home before the storms came.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Yeah, insurance covers some things and doesn't cover others. What
are some things that are not covered by insurance?
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Well, flooding from outside your home is typically not covered.
So if it's a rising river or even sewer backup
from outside the home, unless you have a rider on
your policy, that kind of damage is typically not covered
by an insurance policy. You can get a writer for
sewer backup coverage and flood of insurance is typically available
(26:20):
from the National Flood Insurance Program or some private insurers
also offer it, but it's not included in your homeowner's policy. Similarly,
and this is important for homes around the Northwest in particular,
where we see sometimes after heavy rains, will see slide activity.
Earth movement which includes slides and sinkholes and mudflow are
(26:43):
not covered under your standard home owners policy and you
have to consider getting a different difference in conditions policy
from a specialty lines insurer if you believe your home
is susceptible to landslides or earth movement.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Is the reasoning for that kind of like a flood
water coming in from outside of your home.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Well, typically, typically if it's water coming inside your home
from outside, whether that's caused by heavy rains or rising rivers,
et cetera, that is going to be a flood insurance policy.
But if you actually if heavy rains cause the earth
to move around you, whether that's a sinkhole or a
mud slide or a landslide, that is going to be
(27:25):
a difference in conditions policy that you need to cover
that loss.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Interesting two different kinds. What happens if my tree falls
on my neighbor's house.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
You know that's a question. We get a lot. If
your neighbor's tree falls on your house, or your own
tree falls on your house, it's the same. Your insurance policy.
Your homeowner's insurance policy is going to provide coverage for
the damage to your structure caused by a tree, regardless
of where the tree was sitting when it fell. And similarly,
(27:56):
if a tree on your property falls on your neighbor's house,
it's the insurance policy that's going to cover their damages. Now,
there may be some subrogation between those insurance companies after
the loss occurs, but that's up to the companies to
figure out and you're not involved in that.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
So what happens if my car has parked in my
driveway and a tree falls on the car.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Well, if a tree falls on your car, that's going
to be on your car's policy. So that's going to
be a comprehensive coverage issue. Most people do have comprehensive
coverage on their vehicles, especially if they're newer and they're
still paying for the car loan or the lease payment,
and it's a no fault coverage. It doesn't matter what
(28:38):
caused that to occur, but that's going to fall under
comprehensive insurance coverage. So it's a good idea. If you
have an older car and you're only carrying liability insurance,
you might want to know that you can also get
comprehensive coverage, which is not expensive. It might be somewhere
between five and fifteen dollars a month to add that
(28:59):
coverage and make sure you're covered in case of it
also covers your vehicle if it's stolen or if there's
a hit and run in a parking lot.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Kenton, thanks for joining us on Local Voices. That's Katon
Bryan with a Northwest Insurance council and tips on what
you can do around your home had a fallen winter
weather to prevent costly damage. Thanks for listening to Local Voices.
I'm brad Ford. You can hear past episodes on the
iHeartRadio app under the podcast tab. Local Voices is a
(29:28):
public affairs presentation from iHeartRadio.
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