Bristol, Virginia Fire Department emphasizes renters’ insurance

BRISTOL, Va. (WCYB) — Do you have the proper insurance to protect yourself and family in the event of an emergency?

After several fires in rental properties across Bristol, Virginia, the fire department wants to make sure you’re prepared.

“When we go to the fires in rental properties, we see people that lose everything,” said Chief Mike Armstrong, of the Bristol, Virginia Fire Department. “They may not have a lot, but what they have is usually lost in a fire, and a lot of them are under the assumption that the landlord is to take care of them, and that’s not the case.”

That’s why the Bristol, Virginia Fire Department is stressing the importance of renters insurance in the event of an emergency — saying in the city, there’s a large volume of rental properties.

“It’s really heartbreaking to see that,” said Armstrong. “We will go in there and try to fight the fire and save as much as we possibly can, we try to preserve what didn’t get destroyed in the fire, but at the end of the day, for 8 or 9 bucks a month, somebody could have full coverage for rental insurance, and everything would be replaced.”

“It’s very disheartening,” added Sharon Dixon, disaster program manager, of the American Red Cross in Bristol, Virginia. “We have over 80 percent of the responses that we reach out to that don’t have any insurance.”

Chief Mike Armstrong says even if the landlord has insurance on the building that covers their property, it does not extend to a renter.

“It’s just really frustrating and heartbreaking to see somebody lose everything that they have worked for, because they just don’t know,” said Armstrong.

“You can imagine, if you had to start over and you are having to replace your belongings, where do you start,” asked Dixon.

With renters’ insurance not as expensive as people may think.

“Renters insurance is very affordable, it’s basically the same cost as a Big Mac combo meal, it’s around $8, $8.95 a month,” said Tim Burnette, an insurance agent for State Farm in Bristol, Virginia. “It actually covers your personal property whether you live in a house or renting a house or renting an apartment — if something happens, like I know in this area, we’ve had a lot of fires recently, that covers your belongings.”

“We have, I’d say, more fires in rental property versus a homeowner owned house,” added Armstrong. “Again, it’s just very frustrating to see that for a small price, they can be covered.”

The Bristol, Virginia Fire Department has this message for those considering insurance.

“I’m not endorsing any particular insurance agent, there’s a ton of them around the area, just reach out. There’s going to be somebody that can provide you with a rental insurance policy that will suit your budget,” said Armstrong. “Any kind of expensive personal belongings that would otherwise be destroyed, for just a small price each month, they could be covered and have that piece of mind.”