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Circle ofSafety
™
Your Consumer Awareness Advisor ™
For Friends of Kelley Insurance Agency
P.O. Box 367 – Everson, WA – 360.966.3732 – www.kelleyinsure.com
Squaring Up To
Nature
Protecting Yourself
from Natural Disasters
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We watch with a mixture of sympathy and trepidation
when a natural disaster hits the headlines. Whether it's
an earthquake, flood, wildfire, hurricane or tornado, most
of us have two things on our minds:

What can I do to help?

What would I do if this happened to me?
The help side of the equation depends on the nature of
the incident and you can usually get information on this
from major charities like the Red Cross.
When it comes to protecting yourself against disaster,
there are three issues you need to address: precaution,
insurance and recovery.
Precaution
You can't tame nature to prevent a disaster from
happening but there are things you can do to minimize
both the risks and the impact. Here's our Top Five list:
1. Establish if you're in a risk zone for any of these
events. Your city or county authorities can tell you.
2. Using their guidance and online research, have a
family safety plan for what to do in emergency.
3. Do anything you can now to reduce risks, from
clearing brush to securing structures.
4. Buy and maintain a supply of the things you'll need
from food through flashlights to sandbags.
5. Be alert to warnings about imminent high risk events.
Insurance
The recent big earthquakes in Haiti and Chile may have
prompted you to think about 'quake or other disaster
insurance. Cover for fire and storm damage is normally
part of a homeowners policy. For 'quakes and floods,
cover is available in many areas but obviously the
greater the risk, the higher premiums may be. Some
states and even the Federal Government may provide
support towards cover for certain risks.
After Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti 'quake, a question
people ask is whether they're covered against looting.
(continued on Page 2)
IN THIS ISSUE: ▪ Natural Disaster
Precautions ▪ Beware Tourist
Tricksters ▪ Are Credit Unions For
You? ▪ Bathroom Safety Tips ▪ Take
Good Care of Your Summer Lawn
VACATION ALERT FOR
TOURIST TRICKSTERS
So you're busy planning your summer
vacation? Someone else is thinking about
that too – tourist tricksters. These are the
people you encounter in airports, taxi lines
and on the sidewalk, who want to take
advantage of your unfamiliarity, especially
abroad. Here's our list of tips and alerts:
 Beware distraction crime. Someone,
maybe a child, tries to distract you
while an accomplice steals wallets or
luggage. Ignore them and hold tight.
 If you're being met at an airport, check
the credentials of your driver to make
sure they're who they say they are. If in
doubt, don't go. Phone the hotel or
party you're visiting.
 Similarly, only use taxis at official taxi
ranks. And always establish the fare
before you leave.
 Change currency before you travel, or
in banks or well-known bureaux de
change. Others may offer poor rates or
terms loaded with hidden extras.
 Avoid invitations to free events and
don’t accept free scratch cards (which
always 'win'). They're timeshare lures.
 Don’t buy off anyone on the street, no
matter how great a bargain it seems.
Bottom line: Always be skeptical. Never
take the word of someone you don't know.
Are you Client of the
Month? See Page 3
2
Why It's Worth Taking an
Interest in Credit Unions
Bah, humbug! You don’t have to be a Scrooge to be careful with your
money. Whether you're borrowing or saving, you owe it to yourself and
your family to be cautious about cash.
That may be why, according to latest figures, membership and funds
are climbing at the 7,500-plus community- or work-based financial
institutions we call credit unions (CUs).
Many people think they're the same as banks, but they're not. For a
start, they're owned by their members – mainly customers (savers and
borrowers) – not by stockholders. So they don’t have to make a profit;
and if they do have a surplus, it goes back to the members.
This means that, on average, interest rates are higher than the banks'
for savers, and lower for borrowers.
To learn more about credit unions, visit:
http://www.ncua.gov/
To find a CU in your area, go to:
ttp://www.creditunion.coop/cu_locator/quickfind.php
Credit unions have been around since the 1930s and there was a time
when they were regarded as rather stuffy old-fashioned organizations,
difficult to join and offering only limited services. That's no longer true.
Virtually anyone can join a credit union, as long as they live or work in
the area where it's based (or work for an organization or industry that
has its own CU). And because of this relationship, they are seen very
much as part of the communities they serve.
Most of them offer the key services we expect to find at a bank –
including savings and money market accounts and CDs; auto loans
and mortgages; checking accounts and access to ATMs nationwide
and even abroad. Many also issue their own credit cards, including
some that offer points or rewards.
One important way in which they are similar to banks is in protecting
savers' deposits. Bank deposits up to $250,000 are covered by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). With CUs, the National
Credit Union Share Insurance Fund backs deposits to the same level.
Credit unions may not be suitable for everyone, and we can't advise
you on that. But at least now you know they're worth looking into!
Make Sure the Smallest Room is Also the Safest
It may be the smallest room in the house, but the bathroom is big on
danger, especially for the elderly and youngsters. There are water,
electricity, sharp corners, internal locks and perhaps drugs, all lying
in wait for victims. But a few simple precautions will defeat them:
 Keep a non-slip mat in the bath and shower (and on the bathroom
floor if it's polished or slippery)
 Only plug in electrical items when you use them. Then remove
and replace with plastic outlet protectors.
 Keep all drugs under lock and key and always out of kids' reach.
 Install grab bars beside the bath and inside shower enclosures.
 Ensure towel rails are firmly fitted. Check them regularly
 Fit door locks that can be opened from the outside in emergency.
Squaring up …
(from Page 1)
This would most likely fall under
the “riot and civil commotion”
portion of your homeowners
policy, regardless of whether or
not you have 'quake or other
special cover. A disaster isn’t the
trigger for the coverage; the
looting is. Talk to us about this.
Recovery
How quickly you start to get back
to normal depends on the scale
of the incident and availability of
services to help you.
Obviously, if you're insured, you
should contact us or your insurer
as soon as possible, to file a
claim.
We hope you have arranged
cover, but if you haven't you may
have to draw on your own funds,
or look to state or federal aid if a
State of Emergency has been
declared.
There are private companies
specializing in disaster recovery
and home restoration and, of
course, builders and contractors
for structural and service repairs.
It's a wise move to indentify
these people now as there would
likely be a long waiting list if the
incident was widespread.
FEMA
One of the best sources of
information on dealing with a
natural disaster is the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA).
Despite some bad publicity after
Katrina, the agency offers lots of
information and assistance both
in preparation for and during
incidents.
Their website is www.fema.gov
or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
Thank You! Thank You!
Thank You! Thank You!
Thanks to all our clients who
graciously referred their family,
friends and associates to our
agency. We build our agency on
your positive comments. We
couldn’t do it without your help!
Are You The
Client of the Month?
Trivia Contest
This month Kelley Insurance Agency is sponsoring a Trivia
Contest and offering you a chance to a $20.00 gift certificate to
the North Fork Brewery. Test your knowledge! Just one
correct (or nearly correct) answer and you could be this
month’s winner. The entry that comes closest to the correct
answer to the following question will be the winner. If more
than one person has the exact answer, the winner will be the
person whose entry reached our office first. Write down your
name and answer, and then FAX – 360.966.2819 -- or MAIL –
P.O. Box 367 Everson, WA -- or EMAIL –
info@kelleyinsure.com -- this page.
Good luck!
**As a reminder you can only win a contest every 12 months!
Our agency is nothing without
your loyalty and faith in us.
Even if your name doesn’t
appear below this month,
please accept our heartfelt
“thanks” for your support. We
truly appreciate it!
For outstanding work telling
others about our agency,
this month we honor:
Wade and Corrine DeJong
as our Client of the Month!
What is the only animal that can drink 30 gallons of
water in 10 minutes?
Name: _________________________________________
Answer:_________________________________________
Last Month’s Winner:
Congratulations to [winner’s name] for correctly answering last
month’s trivia question! For the correct answer, [winner’s name]
has won a free [prize name]!
Last month’s question was:
When was the first Costco warehouse open?
And where?
$25.00 has been donated to
Relay for Life in their name,
and they receive a $25.00 gift
card.
Thanks for your
continued business!
(Who’s next? Hint… refer a
friend or family member to
our office and it could be
you!)
Answer: It was opened in Seattle, Washington on
September 15, 1983
3
Vossbeck Farms was recently established by local
farmer, Kurt Vossbeck. Kurt grew up on a cattle
ranch in Lynden and has years of experience in the
agriculture industry. He offers custom mowing to
meet the needs of your farm.
 $100 per cutting hour
“Kelley
Insurance
Agency provided
me20
with
a complete
policy for my
 $125
per cutting
hour if
acres
or less
business in a timely manner. Their personalized customer service
definitely exceeds that of other agencies.” -Kurt Vossbeck
KELLEY INSURANCE AGENCY
P.O. BOX 367
EVERSON, WA 98247
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage Paid
Everson, WA
Permit No. 5
YOU COULD WIN!
See inside for a
simple way to win!