Southern California Wildfire Update – Accomplishments and 2008 Plans

December 2007

Since the recent wildfires that again devastated San Diego, United Policyholders staff and volunteers have already:

• Provided direct one-on-one counseling and aid to countless victims in the Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Lake Arrowhead and Ramona areas.
  
  
• Gotten results. At our urging, some insurers are waiving an onerous requirement that total loss victims itemize and document every single item that was destroyed. “I don’t have that knot in my stomach anymore”, a grateful fire victim told Karen Reimus yesterday morning after Karen led her to hands-on help solving an insurance problem.
  
  
• Raised funds that allowed us to distribute over 1,000 copies of our Disaster Recovery Handbook and Household Inventory Guide free of charge to victims
  
  
• Disseminated free tips and handouts on specific insurance and construction-related topics at the “one-stop” disaster assistance center that Councilmember Brian Mainschein set up in Rancho Bernardo.
  
  
• Hosted two in a year-long series of planned meetings in Rancho Bernardo to educate fire victims and help them trouble-shoot insurance problems that may arise in the next twelve months. The first took place on November 28th. 250 fire victims attended. After the speakers portion, attendees went into group break-out sessions by insurance company. A UP mentor facilitated each group session and is helping the attendees communicate on an ongoing basis. The second meeting took place on December 12th with even larger attendance, the same format but different subject matter.
  
  
• Established a working relationship with three faith-based organizations engaged in the wildfire recovery effort.
  
  
• Distributed over 500 copies of our “Top Twenty Tips” for negotiating insurance claims as inserts in three ring binders that were distributed to victims by volunteers who’d been impacted by the 2003 Cedar Fire
  
  
• Enlisted over 70 volunteers with personal experience settling large insurance claims to serve as “mentors” to the current victims
  
  
• Conducted a training session for these volunteers, provided each with a prepared binder with resource inserts. We’re providing ongoing education and support for them through group email messages.
  
  
• Provided speakers to educate groups of victims at numerous public events and meetings hosted by public officials
  
  
• Networked with community leaders, faith-based organizations, other non-profits and the California Department of Insurance
  
  
• Met personally with Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner to notify him about the reports our volunteers and we getting from victims on how their claims are being handled.
  
  
• Communicated with insurance industry executives regarding reports that United Policyholders is receiving about coverage and claim issues, strongly urged them to expedite the process of making sure every victim has a complete copy of their policy and is getting temporary living expense payments.
  
  
• Created new publications on:
  • How to review  and understand adjuster and contractor repair/rebuild estimates
  • What are “Profit and Overhead” and why do they matter?
  • Getting Help from the California Department of Insurance

Plans for San Diego work during the coming year

Our plans for the coming year include:

• Organizing and hosting additional periodic meetings as new issues arise along the insurance and rebuilding/recovery timeline.
  
  
• Finalizing, launching and publicizing an invitation-only moderated online discussion forum to allow victims to pose questions and get answers on

• Insurance
• Construction/Repair

• Enhancements to our “SoCal Wildfire Recovery Aid” and other sections of UP website www.unitedpolicyholders.org that offer help to San Diego fire victims.

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