INTRODUCTION:

As many of you are aware, and some of you no doubt are experiencing, we’re in the middle of a very challenging homeowner’s insurance environment. On behalf of CCSD and the Fire Safe Focus Group, we want to help and provide information and resources that we hope will be useful and actionable regardless of your individual circumstances.

The four situations listed below that you may find yourselves in are not designed to be exhaustive and cover every single circumstance, and the information and resources provided for each are not meant to be exhaustive as well. We’ve tried to provide you with the best, most informative content that we feel will address most of everyone’s concerns and needs in as direct a way as we can with the given links.

This content will continue to live and breathe as we navigate these difficult times and will be updated with relevant new information as we find it. We will make it a topic of monthly discussion and review at the Fire Safe Focus Group meeting. We very much hope you will find this information meaningful.

Thank you for your support, as always,

Matthew McElhenie
CCSD General Manager

SITUATIONS:

Insurance has been cancelled; need the next best steps:                                                                     

• United Policy Holders website
• Click here to help find a new insurer.
• As a last resort, click here to contact a broker about the Fair Plan.

Summary guidance: Don’t panic! Act promptly and find out from your insurer why you were dropped. Can you mitigate the issues and keep your insurance? If you think you are being treated unfairly, contact the Insurance Commissioner’s office (800-927-4357). Use the link above to start searching for a new insurer. 

Insurance at risk: The insurer has communicated insurance will be terminated at a specified future date:

• Click here for help from the Insurance Commissioner’s Office
• Find a broker that will help with the Fair Plan by clicking here. 

Summary guidance: Don’t panic! Act promptly and find out from your insurer why you are going to be dropped.  Can you mitigate the issues and keep your insurance?  If you think you are being treated unfairly, contact the Insurance Commissioner’s office (800-927-4357).  Use the link above to start searching for a new insurer.   

Insurance possibly at risk, but the insurer has indicated specific mitigation requirements:

• Contact Cambria Fire and ask for an inspection to validate the insurer’s request. 
• Click here for the basic things to look for and do.
• Click here for information on Defensible Space.
• Click here for information on Home Hardening.

Summary guidance: Ask Cambria Fire (805-927-6240) for an inspection or CALFIRE local station (805-927-4262). Ask your insurer for specific items they want done. If you need help finding a contractor to do the work, contact the Fire Safe Focus Group. 

No indication from the insurer that the policy is at risk, but want to be prepared if something changes:

• Click here for a quick list of things you can do.
• Click here for a very extensive checklist.
• Contact the Cambria Fire Department and get a free inspection of your property at 805-927-6240.

Summary guidance: Join the Fire Safe Focus Group. They stay in touch with all the agencies and have an update at every meeting. They meet at the Cambria Fire Department and by Zoom every month on the 4th Wednesday at 3 PM. Do not contact the insurer to try and determine if your policy is at risk. As much as possible, do not draw attention to your insurer, and if possible, try to avoid making a claim if you can afford to make the repair on your own.

GENERAL INFORMATION/RESOURCES TO LEARN MORE:

• https://uphelp.org/
• https://uphelp.org/preparedness/wrap-resource-center/
• https://wildfireprepared.org/
• Wildfire Response and Readiness (ca.gov)

WHAT ARE GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CURRENTLY INITIATING OR IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT:

• California Insurance Commissioner 
• County of SLO: The San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council is active in all fire-related areas throughout the county. Click here for information on defensible space and home hardening. 
• CCSD/Fire Department: The CCSD Board of Directors is considering a citation ordinance that will enable the fire department to enforce fuel reduction requirements on improved as well as unimproved parcels. 
• United Policyholders
• Fire Safe Focus Group: The Fire Safe Focus Group has an insurance update every meeting to keep people informed. We meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 3 PM at the Cambria Fire Department.

WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE?

Although we don’t have a crystal ball to predict how all this will shake out, what we do believe is the current situation is not sustainable. We believe we’re in something of a transition as government, non-profits, insurers, and homeowners understand and navigate out of this current troublesome environment. We believe it will get better; we will find solutions that provide mutual benefit to all stakeholders. We commit to advocating for you and working as best we can to find alternatives and solutions. Again, this will be an ongoing initiative, and we will keep you informed of important new developments in the future. We need your help, too, so please contact the Fire Safe Focus Group with suggestions and/or new information we may not be aware of.