Emergency Preparedness

June 17, 2024 Published by British Columbia Chapter - By Gaelen Porter

Essential Preparedness: Safeguarding Life & Property From Catastrophic Events

From CCI BC Strata Connection Magazine, Volume 02, Spring/Summer 2024

Severe weather, natural disasters and other catastrophic events can cause serious havoc —including property damage, physical injury, emotional trauma, business interruption, liability claims and even the loss of life. Preparing is essential to protect what matters most and recover quickly.

Public Safety Canada defines preparedness as “being ready to respond to a disaster and to manage its consequences through measures taken before the event.”

Knowing which hazards you need to plan for is the first step to getting prepared. The Top 10 Hazards in BC include flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis, disease outbreaks, power outages, landslides, avalanches, hazardous material spills, severe weather, and wildfires.

We have seen an alarming increase in wildfires. The number of wildfires has been increasing, and wildfire season has been lengthier and more destructive over the past years. In 2023, 6,623 wildfires across Canada devastated over 18 million acres of land.

The second step to prepare is to make your plan: know where to find information, understand how you‘ll communicate, have an emergency meeting place, plan for special needs (e.g., children and family members with limitations), and research insurance options.

For example, understand the likelihood of a wildfire in your area. Natural Resources Canada maintains the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS), which monitors fire danger conditions and fire occurrence across Canada.

Consider downloading and following guidelines available from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety at disatersafety.org and follow the Government of Canada‘s Preparedness Guidelines, which include:

• Prepare and practice a wildfire evacuation plan.
• Subscribe to local emergency notification and evacuation systems.
• Monitor evolving situations and do not hesitate to follow instructions from local authorities. If ordered to evacuate, do so immediately and follow recommendations.

The third step is to gather your supplies. Following a disaster, you may need to stay home with an emergency kit or leave immediately with a graband-go bag. Consider leaving these kits in an accessible location – including your car or office. For more information on what to pack in these kits, Build an emergency kit and grab-and-go bag Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).

Insurance Considerations Strata Corporations and Unit Owners

• It is critically important to purchase property insurance with adequate limits of coverage. Having an annual property appraisal transfers risk away from the strata corporation. It protects the owners in the case of a significant peril where the property is deemed a major or total loss. Strata Council should pick an accredited company specializing in insurance appraisals and ensure the value sets the coverage limit.
• Remember that not all policies are equal when choosing a strata insurance package. We recommend selecting a comprehensive all-risk policy. If you are considering switching providers, ask about policy conditions, exclusions, and limitations. A policy is only as good as the claims it pays for!
• Strata homeowners and renters are strongly advised to purchase separate insurance to meet their needs. Insurance for the strata corporation is different from strata homeowner or tenant insurance.

When it comes to personal insurance, it’s essential to understand the coverage provided in your policy. Additional Living Expenses (ALE) is a coverage provision found in most insurance policies, typically within homeowner and renter insurance. It is designed to help policyholders with temporary accommodations, meals, and other necessary living expenses if their home becomes uninhabitable due to a covered loss, such as a fire, disaster, or extensive water damage.

There are different categories of ALE claims; we recommend you talk to your broker to understand your current coverage, limits, and exclusions. For example, ask your broker if you have coverage in the event of the following scenarios:

• Prohibited access to your home because a civil authority has ordered a mass evacuation?
• Prohibited access to your home as a direct result of damage to neighbouring premises?
• Damage to your contents by an insured peril, for example, fire, flood, or related damage?

With more than 1.5 million people living in strata communities in British Columbia, we need to prepare individually - and think about how to prepare collectively with our neighbours. Think about forming a committee in your strata to become more prepared.

The Strata Property Act also has special provisions on handling emergencies, ensuring safety and preventing losses, which can be found here: Handling emergencies in strata corporations - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).

Other Resources 

https://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/home
https://ibhs.org/wildfireready/
https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/hzd/wldfrs-en.aspx

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Gaelen Porter, HUB Condo

Gaelan has extensive knowledge and experience in strata insurance and property management, spending ten years with a large property management firm before joining HUB International as their AVP of Real Estate. After spending so many evenings speaking to council members and owners, Gaelan is passionate about education. In addition to being a licensed insurance broker, Gaelan holds a Bachelor of Commerce and an M.A. in Disaster and Emergency Management.