SERVPRO® Can Help Your Business

7/2/2024 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is to reduce business interruptions and recovery costs.

SERVPRO® is committed to providing expert fire and water cleanup and restoration services to reduce business interruptions and recovery costs. Our team can also provide specialized commercial cleaning services to maintain the best appearance of your facility. 

• Fire, Smoke and Soot Cleanup and Restoration: Pretesting helps us determine what type of fire has taken place. Knowing the types of smoke and their behavior patterns are vital to proper restoration. 
• Water Removal and Dehumidification: Our professionals identify the source and type of water which determines the proper course of action. Drying equipment controls temperature and humidity, minimizing secondary damage. 
• Biohazard and Vandalism Cleanup: SERVPRO franchise technicians are trained to safely and effectively clean biohazardous substances and prepare waste for proper disposal according to OSHA, EPA, and state and local health regulations. 
• Mold Mitigation and Remediation: Our professionals work to control and remediate mold contaminants while protecting your health and safety. 
• Contents Claim Inventory: Accurate inventory helps keep cost low and reduces job completion time. Our professionals can provide an itemized, area-by-area loss inventory. 

SERVPRO of Southern McHenry County is Hiring!

7/30/2018 (Permalink)

Now Hiring

Are you interested in working with a great crew of people for a super company?  Not afraid to get a little dirty?  Enjoy doing something to help people who have just gone through disaster?  Consider checking out this position with SERVPRO Southern McHenry County. Call today and you could start working tomorrow!

Location:  Cary, IL

Pay: $13-$15/HR. DOE $15-$18/HR if IICRC Certified

Hours:  Guaranteed 30 hours-40 hours a week

Requirements: Flexible to accommodate 24/7 business needs but not limited to pushing, pulling, lifting up to 50 lbs as needed.

Call Robert or Josephine at 847-516-1600 for an interview today!

Presidents Day History Facts

2/17/2018 (Permalink)

George Washington Statue

Originally established in 1885 in recognition Washington's Birthday, also known as Presidents' Day, is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of February.

Traditionally celebrated on February 22 Washington's Birthday officially traditionally celebrated honors the life and work of George Washington, the first president of the United States and honors other presidents of the United States. 

In the weeks or days leading up to the holiday, schools often organize events and lessons for students about the presidents of the United States and George Washington in particular. It is a popular day for stores to start their sales.

Many delivery services, except for the Post Office, have a regular service and many, but not all, public transit systems operate on regular schedules. Some schools close for the whole week for a mid-winter recess.

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

12/1/2017 (Permalink)

Some communities hold special memorial services on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.©iStockphoto.com/JPecha

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, which is annually on December 7, 1941 commemorates the attack on Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, during World War II.

The flag should be flown at half-mast to honor those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Many associations, especially those linked with Pearl Harbor survivors or those who died from the attack, participate in special services to commemorate the event. Memorial services are held at the venue for USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. this activity include: wreath-laying ceremonies; keynote speeches by those associated with the event and survivors’ recollections of the Pearl Harbor attack.

The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Hawaii. The attack came as a surprise to the American Army and Navy. The barrage lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and more than 300 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded.

The Japanese military had hoped that the attack on Pearl Harbor would prevent the United States of America from increasing her influence in the Pacific. However, the events in Pearl Harbor actually led to the escalation of World War II. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked in a speech to Congress stated that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was “a date which will live in infamy”. Congress approved his declaration with just one dissenting vote. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States, and again Congress reciprocated.

The United States Congress established the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal or Pearl Harbor Survivor's Medal in 1991 which marked the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor This medal can be awarded to any veteran of the United States military who were present in or around Pearl Harbor during the attack by the Japanese military. The medal can be awarded to civilians, who were killed or injured in the attack.

Veterans Day Facts

11/5/2017 (Permalink)

Veterans Day honors those who served the United States in all wars, especially veterans.©bigstockphoto.com/Anthony Correia

In the USA, Veterans Day annually falls on November 11. This day is the anniversary of the  Treaty of Versailles of the whichwas signed on June 28, 1919 ending the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany. Every year veterans are thanked for their services to the United States on Veterans Day.

Today Veterans Day is intended to honor and thank all military personnel who served the United States in all wars, particularly living veterans.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls.

History of Sweetest Day

10/8/2017 (Permalink)

Sweetest Day

Sweetest Day is a holiday celebrated every year on the third of October, primarily only in the Mid-West.

Creation of Sweetest Day is often attributed to Herbert Birch Kingston—a simple man who worked for a candy company—decided to spread a little love to the less fortunate who are often overlooked. So, he passed out heaps of candy to the orphans, the ill and the disabled in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

As it turns out, the tradition stuck. Nowadays, Sweetest Day is a day to shower the ones you love with gifts and make them feel special, just like Valentine's Day. Even though, many people believe that Sweetest Day is for the guy and Valentine's Day is for the girl, that's not true. It's just another day to show love, respect, and appreciation for family, friends, and loved ones.

Have a happy Sweetest Day from everyone at SERVPRO of Southern McHenry County.

Columbus Day in the United States

10/1/2017 (Permalink)

Statue of Christopher Columbus©iStockphoto.com/Lya_Cattel

Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries in the Americas and elsewhere which officially celebrates the anniversary that remembers Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492.

Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in autumn of 1905, and became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937

Since 1970 (Oct. 12), the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October, since 1957. It is generally observed nowadays by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service, other federal agencies, most state government offices, many businesses, and most school districts. Some businesses and some stock exchanges remain open, and some states and municipalities abstain from observing the holiday.

Have a happy Columbus Day from everyone at SERVPRO of Southern McHenry County.

A Few Facts About Labor Day

8/31/2017 (Permalink)

celebrating A Day For the Worker

Today Labor Day, is the first Monday in September, it was a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the economic and social achievements of American workers. It establishes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday,” celebrated in September, caught on in other industrial areas across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it. Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers’ rights squarely into the public’s view. On May 11, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. Many credit Peter J. McGuire, a carpenter and cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, while others have suggested that Matthew Maguire, a machinist and a secretary of the Central Labor Union, first proposed the holiday. We didn't know which man should be credited - partially because people over the years confused them because of their similar-sounding names. Labor Day is still celebrated in cities and towns across the United States with parades, picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays and other public gatherings. For many Americans, particularly children and young adults, it represents the end of the summer, the start of the back-to-school season and the wearing of any white clothing after the summer officially ended.

With the celebration there is a risk fire please take the proper precautions while using fireworks or barbequing.

Hope you have a great Labor Day.

If you have any questions or you need emergency call us at 847-516-1600.

Protecting Your Home While on Vacation

7/24/2017 (Permalink)

Don't let the anticipation of a well-deserved vacation blind you to the risks of leaving your home unprotected. Go ahead and plan your vacation, but take these precautions before you leave.

The Insurance Information Institute reports that the majority of residential break-ins occur during the prime vacation months of July and August. Preventing burglaries and other problems when you are away takes a minimal amount of planning and can increase your peace of mind greatly while you travel. Experts in home security say that the key to keeping your home secure while on vacation is simply to make your home the least appealing target on your block.

Following the tips below, you can make your house harder to break into, and give yourself peace of mind that you have taken all the precautions for home security.

Internet

While using personal pages on the Internet may be a convenient way to keep in touch with friends, sharing your itinerary can cause problems while you are away from home. Show some caution when you talk about your trip. Your blog isn't the best place to announce that you'll be away from home for a month.  The less information you put out there, the less likely it is to reach the wrong ears and eyes. 

Locking Up

Before you leave for vacation be sure you physically secure and check all windows and doors. This seems so obvious, but hey, it's easy to forget. If you keep a window unlocked to allow the cat easy access, or never bother to turn the deadbolt on the kitchen door, now's the time to clean up your act. Locking your home makes it less attractive to opportunistic burglars. If you don't make it easy, there's a better chance that when you get home, your house will be in the same condition as when you left it. 

Unplug Electronics

Disconnecting the power to some of your electronics, like your desktop computer, coffee pot and television can save you money while you're gone and eliminate the worry that you've accidentally left them on by mistake. Turning off your garage door is also an effective way to keep thieves from opening it with a universal remote. 

Maintaining Appearances

If your house is obviously uninhabited, you may be at risk of becoming a target for a burglar. An occupied home looks lived in. Lights go on and off, and cars come and go. When you're away, everything stops. To help create the illusion that the residence is still occupied, invest in timers that turn on the interior lights for a few hours every evening. If you can get a neighbor to take out your garbage and put the cans back after the garbage pickup, it's another way to send the message that everything is proceeding normally at your house. 

Paying someone to keep the yard mowed while you are away is a good idea if you will be gone for a significant amount of time in the spring or summer. Parking a car in your driveway also can make it appear as though someone is at home.

Mail Delivery

Piles of mail and newspapers can make it clear that you are away. While you can temporarily stop mail and newspaper delivery while you're on vacation, the IntelligentCruiser.com doesn't recommend this practice because newspaper or postal workers will know you are away. Failing

Protecting Your Home

A burglar alarm, while not foolproof, helps secure your home. While alarm systems are expensive, the Insurance Information Institute reports that a sophisticated alarm system can result in insurance discounts of 15 to 20 percent. If you don't have an alarm system, installing deadbolts on doors and windows can make it more difficult for thieves to enter your home. The Insurance Information Institute also recommends turning your computer off and locking up important documents to prevent burglars from accessing financial and personal information. Locking up expensive jewelry and small electronic devices before leaving home will help you avoid the theft of your most valuable possessions. 

Enlist the Help of Neighbors

Tell your closest neighbors you’re going out of town and ask them to watch your home. By leaving them a key they can enter the home if there’s an emergency or even turn lights off and on periodically.

If you have a neighborhood watch group in your area, you can ask them to keep an eye on your home, too. It's another way to make sure someone reliable is paying attention to the premises while you're gone 

Consider Hiring a House or Pet Sitter

The best way to make sure your house is safe while you're gone is to have someone you trust still living in it. You may be lucky enough to have a tidy and conscientious relative who'll move in temporarily and water the plants, feed the pets and pick up the newspapers. If not, there are services you can use for house-sitting and pet-sitting while you're away. This can be a pricy option, but it's a solution that touches all the bases. 

Preventative Maintenance

Burst or leaking pipes can make you quickly forget all about your relaxing vacation. Shutting off the main water supply may help eliminate the possibility of plumbing problems when you are out of town. Insulating pipes and keeping the heat on during a cold snap will help prevent burst pipes.

Returning from Vacation

When you get back from your trip, be sure you inspect your home upon your return. Look for signs of entry or missing items. If you notice anything stray, be sure to call the police immediately. It’s a good idea to wait outside the home until help arrives and when they do be sure to allow them to collect fingerprints. Be sure not to allow anyone to walk on the lawn until the police have left as well.

Sources:

http://www.pepper-spray-store.com/relatedinfo/vacation-security.shtml http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/10-tips-for-keeping-house-safe-while-on-vacation.htm The Insurance Information Institute