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From
: Lila Hayes
Sent : Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Subject : OFRG weekly update
Meeting
Reminder
This week's meetings is at the Calvary Baptist
Church (3701 Sierra Way) at 2PM. I assume the big room is
complete by now so see you there!
---
Index
1. Book Review: Invisible
Bankers
2. Book Review: The Control Of
Nature
---
On The Web
1. Some
information on California construction law.
2. More information about Lien Releases from
a Sub-Contractor's point of view
3. Lien Release forms on the CSLB
Website
4. Interface South (Wildland-Urban Interface
issues)
5. Wildfire and disaster plans from other
Southern California cities
6. Historical statistics of fire in
California
---
In The News
1. Bittersweet Homecoming, May
14, 2005, (San Diego Union Tribune)
---
1.
Book Review: Invisible Bankers
---
There is not a whole lot of news this week, but
I am currently reading my fourth book relating to disaster recovery since the
fire and I figured I'd give you a little update on these books in the order I
read them. The next two reviews will follow in upcoming
newsletters.
--
The Invisible
Bankers was written by Andrew Tobias and published in 1982 by Linden
Press/Simon & Schuster. It is no longer in print, but can by purchased
used on www.amazon.com. Prices vary
depending on availability.
This book was an eye opener for me. Even
though it was written over 20 years ago, it was fascinating to read about the
history of the insurance industry and the claims culture that follows through to
today. It compares the insurance industry to the banking industry and
shows the average person why the insurance industry is such a huge money
maker. It also shows how insurance is not as boring as the insurance
industry wants us to think. Mr. Tobias describes why ignorance by the
policy holder is key to the insurance company's success.
Some of the chapter titles really give the essence
of the book. "The Biggest Game in the World: They just want us to think
it's boring" and "A VERY Short Chapter on Insurance Accounting: How to take in
$52 Million, pay out $6 Million and Report a Loss" and "Little Truces: A Few
Tips from the Claims Manual".
In my opinion, it was the first 8 or 9 chapters
which are the most appropriate for disaster recovery and today's insurance
market. Much of the back half of the book seems to be outdated due to the time factor but still most of the
principals still hold true. I wish there was a consolidated, up to date
version for people filing a claim to simply learn the background on the
insurance industry, but for now, this is a well written and interesting book and
a good primer if you just remember that it is over 20 years old.
---
2.
Book Review: The Control Of
Nature
---
The
Control of Nature was written by John McPhee in
1989. It originally appeared in the New Yorker but is available
new and used in both paper and hard back versions on www.amazon.com.
This book consists of three short essays on three
completely different natural phenomenon's which man is - at least trying to
- control. The first is Atchafalaya which is basically the
Mississippi river delta region. The second are lava flows in a certain
harbor in Iceland. The third is the urban-wildland interface in Los
Angeles.
This last chapter is obviously the section
which is most apropos to our group. Although the focus of this
chapter is on debris flow, it is impossible to discuss debris flow in the
Southern California Urban-Wildland interface without at least
mentioning fire.
The descriptions of houses filling up with mud are
disturbing enough to give one pause and to really appreciate the power of this
destructive force. Although most of the book is set in Los Angeles, the
environment is identical in San Bernardino and many of the landmarks (Foothill
Blvd, Rte 66) are close enough to home to really make you think.
I grew up in San Bernardino and was aware of the
many fires that ran through the area. My father was a City of San
Bernardino fire fighter and fought the Panorama fire and a friend of the
family lost their home from a mudslide in the early 80's, but maybe
because of this, I didn't realize quite how rare, or destructive it is until I
saw it in black and white, compared right there next to a lava flow and the
Mississippi river.
This book gave me some perspective on the
commonness of firestorms in California as the following shows:
"It is not a great rarity to pick up the Los
Angeles Times and see a headline like this one, from September 27, 1970: '14
Major Fires Rage Out Of Control, 256 homes destroyed as flames burn 180,000
acres.'"
And then:
"Some of the most concentrated rainfall in the
history of the United States has occurred in the San Gabriel
Mountains.... These are by no means annual events, but when they occur
they will stir even hydrologists to bandy the name of Noah.... Mystically,
unnervingly, the heaviest downpours always occur on the watersheds most
recently burned. Why this is so is a question that has not been
answered. Meteorologists and hydrologists speculate about ash-particle
nuclei and heat reflection, but they don't know."
All-in-all I think this should be mandatory reading
for all residence in Southern California Urban-Wildland interface area to help
spur on preparedness just prior to and during the rainy season and is
over-all a very good read.
---
On The Web
---
Information on Construction Law and Liens is
obviously a non-exhaustive list. Please make sure you KNOW HOW this
process works before you get into it. Go to a BIA workshop http://www.biasc.org/ or contact a
professional such as Laurie Delgado of Escrow Funding Services
909-885-6531.
The law is VERY technical regarding these releases
and if even one thing is done wrong it will invalidate the entire process.
If you thought learning about insurance took a lot of time... this can be just
as time consuming... and just as costly if you don't at least become familiar
with it.
1. Some information on California
construction law
2. More information about Lien Releases
from a Sub-Contractor's point of view
3.Lien Release forms on the CSLB
Website
4. Interface South (Wildland-Urban
Interface issues)
The USDA Forest Service
developed InterfaceSouth to heighten awareness of and provide information about
wildland-urban interface (WUI) issues. Critical interface issues include
wildland fire, watershed health and management, land use planning and policy,
wildlife conservation and management, and many more.
http://www.interfacesouth.org/
5. Wildfire and disaster plans from other
Southern California cities
City of West Covina Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
- Section 9 - Wildfire
Wildfire Hazards in Claremont CA
6. Historical statistics of fire in
California
---
In The News
---
1. Bittersweet
Homecoming
They're happy to be
back in their old neighborhood, but a sadness lingers
By Jane
Clifford
UNION-TRIBUNE FAMILY EDITOR
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