IICRC Certified Firm

3/25/2024 (Permalink)

We are an IICRC Certified Firm

SERVPRO of West Hills is an IICRC firm. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) creates the standards for the restoration industry and provides training and certification to restoration companies. IICRC Certified Firms have the right to display the IICRC Certified Logo.

IICRC Certified Firms must:

• Present accurate information to consumers and conduct business with honesty and integrity.
• Require a technician on all jobs who has been formally trained and passed all required tests.
• Require a continuing education program to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry.
• Maintain liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident.
• Maintain a written complaint policy and agree to Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration to resolve disputes, and accept the conclusions and recommendations of arbitration.

The IICRC Develops The Standards For The Restoration Industry

The IICRC has been the driving force in establishing the main industry standards and reference guides for professional carpet cleaning, water damage restoration and mold remediation. These IICRC standards take years to develop and require the coordination of experts in the field: manufacturers, industry organizations, insurance professionals, training schools, contractors, and public health professionals.

Every five years, the standards are reviewed and updated. The water damage restoration field changes rapidly with advancements in technology and science, and therefore the standards must evolve to keep pace.

About SERVPRO of West Hills

SERVPRO of West Hills specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration and we are an IICRC Certified Firm. We believe in continuous training: from initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Winter Season Fire Risks

11/16/2018 (Permalink)

There are 25,000 house fires annually due to overly soiled chimneys.  When was your chimney last swept.  Some folks have more than one fire place--get them all swept.  Please consider taking your cellular phone charger out of the outlet when it is not charging your mobile phone--ever notice how hot that charger gets?  If you enjoy supplementing winter time warmth with electric blankets and space heaters, consider their age, and examine all cords at the beginning of the season, and always remember to turn off and/or unplug these items when not in use, and especially when you are leaving the house--even if it be for just a 20 minute journey up the street to the convenience store.

Fall Check For Increased Pollutant & Risk Loads

10/18/2018 (Permalink)

Pollutants can be around the home, or actually stored within the home, and may increase the probability of fire, or other risk events.  Think about items being stored in and around the home, and check with local municipalities for correct disposal methods.  Some examples of items we keep, and may forget about for many, many years: oil, grease, and toxic chemicals; pesticides and lawn and garden treatments; viruses and bacteria can materialize from forgotten pet waste, and failing septic systems; heavy metals from roof shingles, and other sources.  Fall, like Spring, is a great time--before the days get really short, to clean the gutters, walk the property and look for ill or dying trees, test the furnace and the smoke detector batteries, and removed items which may have been stored much too long.

Evacuation Plan

6/19/2018 (Permalink)

Summer brings longer days, and opportunities to share fun family activities together like boating, swimming, fireworks, the zoo, vacationing, and much, much more.  It's challenging to focus on ideas which would demand an evacuation plan from your home or business.  These are things that we definitely don't want to think about, especially when there's so much opportunity for summer fun.  However, disaster can strike at any single unexpected moment, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Take about 10 or 15 minutes to have a family meeting, and discuss logical plans to escape the building, and please absolutely agree on a meeting locale outside the home--so often, family members will re-enter a burning home, searching for a family member who may already be out, and they don't know it.  This sort of unplanned event would become all you can think about:  the unplanned expense, finding a reliable contractor, plus the inconvenience to you and your family.  We are always here to help. Estimates are free.

Purging

9/21/2017 (Permalink)

Purging one's office or living space several times a year helps diminish the build up of clutter, and saves time when cleaning.  It's amazing the volume of mail that arrives on a daily basis.  Where does all the paper, magazines, knickknacks, and general stuff come from anyway?  When piles of paper, magazines, files, and other paper materials become too high, they can hide visibility to the walls and other surroundings.  These piles can hide spots from water leaks--for instance.  Blocking out small windows of time--since we are all so very busy these days--to attack particular pieces of furniture, or target a certain room.  Perhaps a good rule of thumb might be:  if it hasn't been used or worn in one year, it can be placed in the "Out" pile.  Select a Purging "season," and then do your Purging annually or quarterly.

Electric Shock Drownings

7/19/2017 (Permalink)

Watch Those Storm Event Skies

Don't let summer fun turn to tragedy. Electric shock drownings are a hidden danger in swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, and around boats, marinas, and launch ramps.
Electric shock drowning (ESD) can occur when faulty wiring sends an electrical current into the water. The current then passes through the body, causing paralysis, and results in drowning.
Life saving measures such as ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection and all grounding and bonding systems are functioning properly.
Just a reminder that with such a rainy summer season this year, keep your eye on the sky for incoming storm events and rain. Thunder and lightening are best seen from inside the house, not inside the pool or hot tub.  Error on the side of caution, and get out of the water.

It Is A New Year--Make A Home Inventory

1/20/2017 (Permalink)

Homeowner's/Renter's Policy

It Is A New Year--Make A Home Inventory: Making a list of items in your home BEFORE a fire, water, smoke, soot or mold emergency happens; it helps guarantee that you won't forget to claim something lost in the event of a disaster. SERVPRO of West Hills  412.299.5520