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Is there anything quite so pleasant as coming home to a warm and cozy house on a cold winter's day? Home isn't just where the heart is; in the winter, it's also where the hearth is.

Heat comes to us in many forms: electric, gas, portable space heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces. All of these can pose a threat to a North Carolina home's safetynot to mention that of its residentsif they are not properly maintained and managed. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, heating fires are the second leading cause of all residential building fires. About 50 percent of all fires that result from home heating equipment are reported during the months of December, January, and February. Fortunately, it is possible to stay warm safely this winter by following a few simple suggestions.

• Have your chimney professionally cleaned before lighting the first fire of the year. Removing all debris from the chimney and opening the flue will ensure that your home remains free of dangerous smoke.
• Use only seasoned hardwood such as ash, oak, or maple in your fireplace. Do not burn trash or cardboard boxes.
• Employ fireplace screens or glass fireplace doors to keep embers off of rugs and carpets.
• If you have a gas heating system, place carbon monoxide detectors in your home. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, carbon monoxidealso known as the "silent killer"kills about 300 people in their homes annually. There are small, convenient detectors that plug into electrical outlets and sound an alarm if carbon monoxide is in the air. Keep at least one near every sleeping area.
• Never leave electric space heaters on if they are unattended, and always position them away from flammable objects, as well as from people, pets, furniture, and curtains. Unplug them when they are not in use.
• Maintain a three-foot kid-free zone around all heating sources.
• Pay a professional to examine and clean your home's heating unit annually. He or she can repair potentially deadly leaks.
• Clean your home's air vents by removing their covers and vacuuming out any dust or debris that may have accumulated in them during warmer weather.
• Never use an oven or stovetop to heat your home, and always use gas or charcoal grills outdoors.
• If you ever smell gas, immediately extinguish all flames in your home, put out cigarettes, and do not operate electrical appliances because they may create sparks. Turn off all gas appliances and make sure pilot lights are out. If you still smell gas after opening windows and doors, turn off your home's main gas tap. Call the gas company immediately and evacuate.
• If a pilot light goes out, turn off the gas at that heat source and wait several minutes before re-lighting it.
• If your pilot light produces a red or yellow flame, call for service; the flame should be blue.
• Finally, make sure your smoke alarms are all functioning properly.

Call or contact Charter Insurance Group today to make sure your home insurance policy is up to date.

Arrive Alive... or Just Stay Home

Whether your region is besieged by ice, blanketed in snow, soaked with rain, or one of those places that experiences a once-in-a-blue-moon taste of the aforementioned conditions, it's always imperative to be prepared. Even in warm, sunny locales, the abundance of stressed-out drivers during the holidays can make roads more hazardous than usual.

Use the following guidelines to ensure you travel safely in North Carolina this winter.

• Make sure your tires are properly inflated, and never combine radial tires with other tire types.
• In cold weather conditions, always keep your gas tank at least half-full to prevent your gas line from freezing.
• Never drive while fatigued.
• Avoid using the parking break in cold, wet and/or snowy weather, as it may get stuck.
• Do not use cruise control when driving on a wet, icy, sandy, or otherwise slippery road conditions.
• Don't over exert yourself if you try to push or dig your vehicle out of the snow; you'll be dangerously tired when it's time to drive again.
• If your vehicle becomes stuck in the snow, stay put. Your auto will provide shelter and make it easier for rescuers to locate you. Do not try to walk in a severe storm; you can lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and get lost.
• If you are forced to wait out a storm in your vehicle, use whatever's handynewspaper, floor matsto keep yourself warm. Turn on the engine briefly and only when necessary to heat up the car; do not leave it running.
• Make sure your vehicle's exhaust pipe is free from snow, ice, or mud. A blocked exhaust may cause carbon monoxide gas to leak into vehicle's interior while the engine is running.
• Delay road trips when especially bad weather has been forecasted. If you must travel, always inform others of your route, destination, and estimated time of arrival.
• When driving on snow, accelerate slowly, helping you to gain traction and avoid skids.
• Similarly, decelerate slowly on snowy roads, because it takes longer to stop.
• Break properly. Whether your vehicle has antilock brakes or not, it's best to employ threshold breaking: keeping the heel of your foot on the floor, use ball of your foot to place firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
• Pay attention and shun distractions. Always look in the direction that you are headed.
• Needless to say, always wear a seatbelt.

Finally, always assess the need to drive this winter. Unless it's absolutely necessary to be someplace, consider keeping things simple and safe, and staying home on really snowy days. Is it really necessary to make another trip to the mall if you can shop for presents online? Go out to a restaurant for dinner when there's food at home? Drive around in search of entertainment when you can cuddle up by the fire and watch the snow fall from the window? Winter is an optimal time to slow down and snuggle in. Doing so may not just make you feel happy; it might also help to keep you safe.

Call or conact Charter Insurance Group to make sure your auto insurance policies are up to date.

D&O is the common abbreviation for Directors' and Officers' Liability Insurance. This is a type of liability insurance that protects North Carolina directors and officers of an organization by covering damages or defense costs in the event that they are sued for alleged wrongful acts while serving as directors and officers for the organization.

D&O Defined

D&O insurance may most often be associated with prominent, publically held companies, and often it is customers and shareholders who initiate the lawsuits and file claims against directors and officers who make problematic decisions. However, private companies of all sizes and non-profit organizations can also benefit from securing D&O coverage.

Coverage for Private Companies

Private companies can be vulnerable to claims because small business environments can make bad business decisions more visible; this attracts the attention of shareholders, regulators and others who may find fault and file claims. Private companies need D&O coverage because the cost of defending lawsuits sometimes exceeds the net worth of the companies themselves; judgments can be financially ruinous to a private company.

Coverage for Non-Profits

D&O liability insurance is applicable to non-profit organizations because of the vulnerability of their board members. When an individual becomes a board member of a non-profit organization, he or she takes on a degree of responsibility for the organizationthis is known as "duty of care"and is consequently exposed to possible claims for not running and managing the non-profit in a proper way.

D&O Details

As its name clearly indicates, Directors' and Officers' Liability Insurance always includes an organization's directors and officers. In some cases this means the organization's executive director along with a few key staff or board members. Coverage does vary from plan to plan, however, so it is important to go over a policy carefully with your insurance agent to ensure it is the right fit for your business or non-profit.

Finally, bear in mind that D&O insurance does not function as a free pass enabling directors or officers to engage in acts they know are unethical or otherwise inappropriate. Likewise, it does not give directors and officers permission to knowingly make bad decisions. In fact, deliberate illegal acts or any illegal gains and profits obtained by directors or officers are not covered under most D&O insurance policies. The true purpose of D&O coverage is to give directors and officers enough peace of mind to know that they can thoughtfully and carefully make informed decisions, and take strategic risks that they hope will benefit their organizationall without the threat of personal liability.

For more information about D&O insurance plans, talk to Charter Insurance Group today.