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<br />PPOO-IO <br /> <br />Diana L. McClure, Ass't vp <br />Showcase Programs & Special Projects <br />Institute for Business & Home Safety <br />175 Federal SI., Suite 500 <br />Boston, MA 02110 <br />(617) 292-2003 x216 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Insurance Industry Disaster Mitigation Initiatives <br /> <br />Natural disaster mitigation translates to fewer deaths and injuries and reduced damages, which <br />means that homeowners stay in their homes and businesses stay open. Overall losses are fewer <br />and smaller - response and recovery are faster - government relief payments are lower - and <br />disaster recovery is more manageable. <br /> <br />Insurers and reinsurers are part of this equation. Making homes and businesses more resistant <br />to damage and positioning more of them out of harm's way resuit in fewer and less costly claims <br />than would otherwise occur. Recognizing that, the insurance industry has organized the Institute <br />for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) to act as its answer to the long-term problems presented by <br />natural disasters. The sole mission of IBHS is to reduce natural disaster losses. <br /> <br />Reducing natural disaster losses includes a coordinated approach to the following: <br /> <br />~ increasing pUblic awareness of the risks and the actions that will avoid or minimize them <br />~ developing and implementing loss-reduction steps - in new and existing construction - that <br />are both practical and cost-effective <br />~ implementing wiser land use planning and development decisions <br />~ improving building codes, code compliance, and product standards <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />No insurer or reinsurer, regardless of size, dedicates an engineering and technical staff to these <br />tasks. To address the "how and where we build," <br /> <br />~ IBHS engineers analyze existing codes and product standards, propose changes that will <br />make homes and businesses more resistant to disasters and argue against efforts by others <br />to dilute codes and standards <br />~ IBHS staff, insurance company members and land use planning professionals developed a <br />Community Land Use Evaluation Form (CLUE) to raise awareness among planners about <br />how planning practices can help reduce natural hazard losses and protect community assets. <br /> <br />IBHS supports research on promising cost-effective non-proprietary retrofit techniques for home <br />and business owners. Examples of research include use of construction-grade glue to improve <br />the ability of a roof to stand up to wind by a factor of three and lightweight hurricane shadelshutter <br />protection, which would eliminate the need for a homeowner or renter to install heavy, difficult to <br />handle shutters on the exterior of a home before a storm strikes. <br /> <br />IBHS produces a number of publications to educate its insurance members, home and business <br />owners. Natural Hazard Mitigation Insights brochures are written on subjects such as commercial <br />window retrofit, impact resistant standards for wind-borne debris, metal edge flashing and <br />performance of metal buildings in high winds. Homeowners guides for hurricane, earthquake and <br />hail retrofit are distributed nationally. These publications include latest research findings and are <br />written so that the intended audience can understand the information and take action. <br /> <br />Fortified. . .for safer IivinQ'" is an IBHS program designed to raise awareness in Florida about <br />home safety upgrades that can help families become better prepared for windstorms, floods and <br />wildfires. The Fortified program specifies construction, design and landscaping guidelines to <br />enable homes to increase their resistance to high winds, flooding and wildfire. <br /> <br />. <br />