Many of our readers live in areas considered to be at high risk of wildfire. There are two programs we wanted to share with you today that help residents work together in their communities to reduce the risk of wildfire:

California Fire Safe Council
These grassroots organizations organize community members to educate the public and work together to improve fire safety in their area. Anyone can start a council, then recruit members, have meetings, and work on projects. Usually, these local councils establish themselves as non-profits so that they can accept monetary donations to complete fire safety projects without being taxed. Regional coordinators from the California Fire Safe Council are available to assist with establishing councils, but there are also hundreds of councils already established in California. An interactive map on the website can help you find the council nearest to you if you would like to join an existing council.

Firewise USA
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) created the Firewise USA program to recognize communities that have worked together not only to reduce the risk of wildfire in their area but also to increase the ignition resistance of their homes. There are criteria that must be met to certify the community, and certification is available for communities from as small as eight dwelling units to as large as 2,500. There are educational and risk reduction requirements which must be met, as well as a required number of volunteer hours. Recertification takes place every five years.

So what do these programs have to do with insurance? Will establishing your association as a Fire Safe Council or Firewise USA community guarantee coverage or earn premium discounts? Let’s remember that the purpose of insurance is to “transfer risk.” Right now, the number of insurance carriers willing to take on risk in high wildfire areas has dwindled, which means there may not be a carrier that is financially able to take on the risk of a community no matter how much work they have done to harden their homes.

However, by participating in either or both programs, communities are reducing their risk of damage by wildfire, thus making them more palatable for carriers to take on. Firewise USA communities qualify for the “Safer from Wildfires” program created by the Department of Insurance, so those communities currently insured with the FAIR Plan will have the first opportunity to move out of the Plan and back into the traditional insurance market. Coverage and discounts are never guaranteed, but certified communities will be better received than those that are not, moving them to the proverbial “front of the line.”

Terri Guest, CIRMS, CMCA, EBP is the Northern California Senior Sales & Marketing Representative for Berg Insurance Agency and can be reached at terri@berginsurance.com.