Third anniversary issue.    Vol.12, Issue 1

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Our 52,000 square foot Coquitlam warehouse is converted into a Cape Breton boardwalk for this event each year, and over 350 lobsters are flown in from the Maritimes. This year the lobsters were complemented by a fully catered buffet that included salads, chicken, and roast beef.

With much of the Canstar staff in attendance, over 200 guests enjoyed valet parking and tours of our facility. We enjoyed the great mix of people, from politicians to claims people and property managers. It was a great way to say thank you to our Family, both our valued staff who helped at this event like they do every claim, and our clients and friends who provide the support that makes events like this one possible.

Canstar’s trademark 1966 Chevrolet Apache sat front and centre, and a monitor in the truck box ran a powerpoint presentation that acknowledged our valued subtrades and vendors that are a big part of our service offering year in and year out.

To all of our friends and family that generously shared their time with us this year, we hope you enjoyed this event and will join us again next year.

One of the most significant additions to this technology has been the introduction of the Fireline system of both tools and the systems associated with using these tools to their full potential. Even though the ultrasonic method of cleaning has been around for a long time most companies that were introduced to it over the years have failed to use it on a regular and systematic basis and thus the machinery sits until a champion comes along and says what’s this do? As a company we were in the same situation with our first ultrasonic cleaner.

When the Fireline System was introduced to us the concept of not only cleaning but also packing out contents based on the way this system was designed allowed claims to come into the warehouse already prepared to go through this system, labeled with: the severity of the contamination and the type of item it was so that the some items that needed to be cleaned conventionally could be routed one way and the Fireline cleaning items the other.

As the road staff became more familiar with the way the system worked it became more and more streamlined every time a new claim came in and thus simplified the cleaning procedure even more so. This allowed for us to be in a position to do a very quick but reliable estimate, or even bid, so that the processing costs could be quickly established for the insurer along with a stronger commitment by Canstar to maintain control of the costs and at the same time allow the insurance company the information needed to set reserves more accurately of the claims costs. It has been our experience that these estimates are very reliable due to the fact that the cleaning process is very reliable, systematic, and consistent when it comes to estimating the time it takes to do each box. Of course the cost of cleaning soft furniture and other items that cannot go through this system, but instead, need to be addressed individually are not as easily estimated if there is a significant amount to ultrasonics to be done the accuracy of the quote improves. It is our experience that we can, unpack, clean, and repack 1 box every 20 minutes on average.

It was our pleasure over the last couple of months to do a very large fire claim at a catering company that had suffered smoke damage to hundreds of place settings that included all aspects of what would normally be required to serve a large gathering or function for around 600 guests including dishes, cutlery, cups, glasses, coffee decanters, vases, even silk plants. The claim would have taken weeks to clean in the conventional way but due to the efficiency of the Fireline cleaning system, even though the claim did not arrive in the warehouse till Tuesday night almost everything was returned by Friday morning so that an event scheduled for the weekend could carry on without a hitch. The Fireline system was so valuable that even the insured had to acknowledge, in writing, that we had done an outstanding job. With this system in place we were in a position to provide a timeline and live up to it with confidence.

The Fireline system has provided us with the means to reduce the anxiety of the insured, and the insurer, by providing an element of protection from inefficiencies that time and material sometimes create. Being in a position to quote jobs, or set an accurate estimate allows everyone to be on the same page so that the most “important thing remains the most important thing” and that is the customers peace if mind, whoever that may be.

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For homeowners, few natural events cause greater or more lasting damage than a flood. Cleaning up after a flood quickly and properly can help protect the property, personal belongings and the health of the residents.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) says that after the flood, quick action is very important. Getting rid of the water and drying your house as quickly as possible is essential. Whether you do the work yourself or hire a contractor to do the cleaning up after a flood, a few important precautions should always be taken before you begin:

• Put safety first. Avoid electrical shock by wearing rubber boots, keeping extension cords out of the water and shutting off power to the flooded area.
• Record the details of the damage with photos or video if possible, and contact your insurance agent and register with your municipality as soon as possible.
• Set up a step-by-step action plan to remove all remaining water, mud and other debris, dispose of contaminated household goods, rinse away contamination and disinfect contaminated surfaces, and dry out your house and salvageable possessions.
• Assemble all the equipment and supplies you’ll need in advance, including gloves, masks, pails, mops, squeegees, plastic garbage bags, unscented detergent and large containers for wet bedding and clothing.
• Store valuable papers in a sealable plastic bag in a working freezer until you can work on them.

Then, during the cleanup, keep a checklist of chores close at hand to make sure the work is carried out in an order that will help minimize the damage, including:

• Remove standing water with pumps or pails and a wet/dry shop vacuum, and remove all soaked and dirty materials and debris, including wet insulation and drywall, residual mud and soil, furniture, appliances, clothing and bedding.
• Work from the top down, breaking out ceilings and walls that have absorbed water, removing materials at least 500 mm above the high-water line and replacing any flooring that has been deeply penetrated by flood water or sewage.
• Hose down and thoroughly rinse all surfaces wetted by the flood water, and wash and wipe down with a solution of unscented detergent and water. Rinse. If the surfaces do not appear clean, repeat the washing down with detergent, scrubbing as needed, then rinse again.
• Clean surfaces not directly affected by the flood water with the detergent solution and allow to dry.
• Ventilate or dehumidify the house until it is completely dry.

By ILSTV Staff on Apr 19, 2011 in Consumer Guide