National Preparedness Month - Week 2

Week 2 (September 6-12) of National Preparedness Month focuses on Wildfires. Although not all of California experiences wildfires, this may be helpful to those who live near wildfire prone areas.

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Here are 4 tips from Cal Fire to prepare for wildfires:

• Trim trees regularly to keep branches a minimum of 10 feet from other trees.
• Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof, and rain gutters.
• Remove all dead plants, grass, and weeds.
• Remove all dead branches that hang from your roof.

For the complete list and information on creating your own wildfire action plan and emergency supply kit, go to www.readyforwildfire.org.

Possibly the Best Water-Saving Showerhead?

There’s a new water saving showerhead engineered by Nebia in San Francisco with flows of 0.75 gallons per minute! How awesome is that!?

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For perspective: the average flow rate for showers is 2.1 gallons per minute, compared to the Nebia showerhead's 0.75 gallons per minute.

What it will cost you: $399 USD, but you will have to wait until May 2016 to receive it.

For the article to see the innovative showerhead and a description of the experience using the Nebia showerhead, click here.

Labor Day BBQ Tips

Labor Day is just around the corner on Monday, September 7, and many of us will be working the grill while enjoying the company of family and friends. 

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Here are some safety reminders from Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association so you can have a fun and safe Labor Day Weekend.

• Position your grill in open areas away from buildings and high traffic areas.
• When lighting a gas grill, always keep the lid open.
• Check propane tank levels before the day of the barbecue.
• Trim the excess fat from meat to avoid flare-ups.
• When grilling, use tongs or spatulas to move or turn meats instead of a fork to minimize the loss of juices

Feel free to contact Kaplan Construction at 562-495-0483 or via email  for any patio renovations to make your next bbq a success!

For the complete article, go here.

Hello September!

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). This year’s NPM theme is Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.

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Today is the start of Week 1 (September 1-5) of NPM. Week 1 covers flooding. With talk of El Nino returning to California, this will be a great topic to cover.

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Here are some quick tips to prepare and plan for floods:

• Store at least a 3-day supply of water per person
• Store at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable food per person
• Have a flashlight
• Battery powered or hand-cranked radio
• Medication
• Multi-purpose tool
• First Aid Kit
• Family and emergency contact information
• Copies of personal documents
• Extra cash

For the complete list of supplies and things to do during and after a flood, visit the Red Cross page.

Feel free to contact Kaplan Construction at 562-495-0483 or via email  for any renovations or remodeling so your home is ready for El Nino.

Source: http://www.ready.gov/september