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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!
 
Lila Hayes
Old Fire Recovery Group
www.oldfirerecoverygroup.org
909-266-1459 vm/fax
 
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Index
 1. Book Review: Invisible Bankers
 2. Book Review: The Control Of Nature
 
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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
 
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In The News
 1. Bittersweet Homecoming, May 14, 2005, (San Diego Union Tribune)
 
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1. Book Review: Invisible Bankers
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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.
 
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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.
 
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2. Book Review: The Control Of Nature
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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.
 
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On The Web
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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
http://www.lovettlawusa.com/ConstructionLaw.html
 
2. More information about Lien Releases from a Sub-Contractor's point of view
http://www.asacalif.com/legalforms.htm
 
3.Lien Release forms on the CSLB Website
http://www.cslb.ca.gov/forms/LienReleaseForms.asp
 
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
http://www.westcov.org/fire/hazard/page13.html
 
Wildfire Hazards in Claremont CA
http://www.claremontpd.org/hazard_mitigation/PDFS/Section%208-%20Wildfire.pdf
 
6. Historical statistics of fire in California
http://www.fire.ca.gov/php/fire_er_histstats.php
 
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In The News
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1. Bittersweet Homecoming
They're happy to be back in their old neighborhood, but a sadness lingers
By Jane Clifford
UNION-TRIBUNE FAMILY EDITOR

May 14, 2005

Leslie Brown knew she was home when she walked into Vons last weekend and the checker rushed from the register to greet her.

"She said, 'Oh, Mrs. Brown. You're back!' And she started crying."

[more HERE]
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/fires/20050514-9999-lz1c14brown.html

 
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Old Fire Recovery Group
www.oldfirerecoverygroup.org
909-266-1459 vm/fax