By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
Roy Cassada has seen a fire or two. So he knows a thing or two as a Farmers Insurance agency owner.
He served as a Piedmont firefighter for years. Responding to fires in freezing weather helped prepare him for his work this year, responding to flooded homes with broken pipes where claims were made during the February 2021 weather.
Today, Cassada helps insure homes against such all-too common disasters, as well as other needs of customers with vehicles and property.
Cassada is the owner and agency producer at Farmers Insurance at 508 W. Vandament Ave. in suite 105 He works with a team including other agency producers, Shirley Huntington of Yukon, Della ray Dodgen of Edmond and Emma Ferguson of Meeker who work out of the Yukon office.
Cassada was a Piedmont firefighter 2006-2016. He moved to Piedmont from Hobart where he had Roy’s Barbecue Restaurant. He spent 10 years as a volunteer firefighter and retired as assistant chief.
There were hundreds of fires and emergencies he responded to help people, he said. Car accidents, medical calls, house fires wildfires as well took his time. He was happy to work with the crews.
“There was camaraderie with the other firefighters, the group of people there, it is a different kind of person willing to spend the majority of their time doing something for free. I enjoyed it because of the group of people there,” Cassada said.
Cassada had a Farmers Insurance office in Piedmont on N.W. 178 from November 2005 to 2010.
Last year and this year, during the pandemic, he has seen more challenges and situations to overcome for people and customers.
“It’s been hard to watch people lose their jobs and struggle with that, and people you normally see when you go to work are not there. It is a whole different dynamic now. We’ve stayed here through the whole thing. A lot of people just closed,” Cassada said.
The majority of business he said is done online. Auto, home, life, motorcycle, boats, RVs and some commercial policies are available through the website, he said.
He does miss firefighting, these days, and he said Piedmont has grown and has a full-time staffed department..
Meanwhile, Cassada said he wants to be more accessible to customers at all times.
“Our responsiveness in this age is important. With us we are highly responsive and people can access me any time. If you have a broken water pipe call and I’ll show up at your house in the middle of the night.
In the recent ice, snow and winter storms there were a number of calls from homeowners had broken pipes from the low temperatures and freezing conditions that ruptured pipes that flooded homes.
He said, just like the commercial advertisement for Farmers line says, he does know a few things since he has seen a few things. He recalls the house fire he responded to one February in 10 degree weather. He was prepared to respond to the calls in the minus 10 degree weather this year.
Cassada’s agency is in the Spring Creek Professional Building in Yukon. The telephone number is (405) 350-1127.
