Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Account Executive of the Tree Care Group Rory Anderson talk about developing an asset relocation plan in wildfire-prone regions.

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Fire Hazard Severity Zones Maps

Director/Host: Alyssa Burley

Guest: Rory Anderson

Producer/Editor: Lauren Stumpf

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: Hi, this is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa's Media Communications and Client Services Department. Thank you for listening to today's top Rancho Mesa News. Brought to you by our Safety and Risk Management Network StudioOne. Welcome back, everyone. My guest is Rory Anderson, Account Executive with Rancho Mesa. He specializes in commercial insurance for the tree care industry. Today, we're going to talk about developing an asset relocation plan in wildfire prone regions. Rory, welcome to the show.

Rory Anderson: Thank you. Thanks for having me here.

AB: Of course. So tree care companies often operate in wildfire prone areas. The safety of their crews, equipment and vehicles is paramount. And wildfires can be unpredictable and devastating, posing a significant threat to a company's valuable assets. How would a tree care company know if they're located in a wildfire prone area?

RA: So really, any rural or semi-rural area, you know, near open space. So Canyons, hills, undeveloped land, that would be, you know, considered a wildfire prone area. And there's actually a really cool resource that Cal Fire puts out. It's available online and it's called a fire hazard severity zone map, which basically just kind of spells out the different tiers of severity based on location in your county. So that's a really good resource to have.

AB: All right. So listeners could go to that website. They could take a look at the map and see, hey, how severe of a threat is this to us?

RA: Exactly right.

AB: So we'll actually put a link to that fire hazard severity zone map in the episode note so our listeners can easily access that. So what is an asset relocation plan for wildfires and why is it actually important for our listeners to consider?

RA: Right. So an asset relocation plan is basically just a separate location other than your, your yard and your normal address where you can relocate your assets, so your equipment and your vehicles, in the event of a wildfire just to make sure that those assets are remaining safe and you can, you know, mitigate risk of potential losses. And really, this idea came about a few years ago. You know, I've been working on renewals for my current clients and specifically on the auto, and the Inland Marine policies. And the underwriters are asking for an asset relocation plan. And they asked once and then they ask twice and then they're continuing to ask. And so I felt like this would just be a good idea to put this content out there to the listeners so everybody can kind of understand what it is and how to get that asset relocation plan in place.

AB: Yeah, that's great. So when someone is developing an asset relocation plan, what are the things that they should consider when they're trying to find a location to move all of their assets?

RA: Yeah. So the relocation address should be in an urban area surrounded by buildings. So it could be a mall parking lot. Really any urban lot in a city. And you want to stay away from any, you know, rural, open areas with a lot of vegetation.

AB: Okay. That seems pretty easy, although depending on where the client is located or the company is located, it could be quite a distance away, depending.

RA: Could be tough.

AB: Yeah. How rural they are. So why should tree care companies specifically? Why do they need to have an asset relocation plan?

RA: Number one, it's a proactive approach, right? And so it's a proactive approach to safety, which in turn can reduce your insurance costs. So lower risk equals lower premiums.

AB: Yeah, just like you were saying, the underwriters are asking for these plans. So places that repeatedly have wildfires and even places that don't, can benefit from having a plan. It is always better to have a plan in place and not need it. Then be scrambling at the last minute and risk losing everything. And we know tree care equipment can be expensive. It could be devastating to lose even one truck or piece of equipment. How hard do you think it is to replace equipment used by tree care companies if it is lost in a wildfire?

RA: Yeah, it is. It really is difficult. And, you know, especially recently with the supply chain issues that we've had over the past couple of years, you know, tree care companies use specialized equipment and vehicles, bucket trucks, box trucks, and then the equipment, you know, large chippers and grapples and things like that. And those are those are difficult to get your hands on. And in addition to that, you know, you're you really don't want to have to go through a claim scenario because then you're waiting on the insurance company. And that can be a long process. And, you know, then not to mention, you know, you're, you're missing out on potential work with those valuable assets being down.

AB: Yeah, absolutely. And we've seen here in San Diego and elsewhere that after a wildfire, there is also a lot of cleanup that needs to take place. Partially burned out trees may need to be cut down or removed. So it's vital that equipment that is used for those activities are not at risk, that they're available when they're needed. Would you agree business continuity is a factor in one developing a plan like this?

RA: Yeah, absolutely. Like you hit it on the head. You know, the aftermath of a wildfire can be fairly chaotic. And, you know, having that asset relocation plan in place ensures that your vehicles and your equipment are secure and safe, which can ensure that your business can continue to operate after the wildfire is over. And, you know, you're able to, to get going with minimal disruptions. And that maintains continuity and continuity, maintains your income and also your reputation as well.

AB: Absolutely. So customers can know that they can count on your business to be there when they need it the most. All right, Rory, if listeners have questions about their asset relocation plan or risk management just in general, what's the best way to get in touch with you?

RA: I can be reached at 619-486-6437. Or you can send me an email at randerson@ranchomesa.com.

AB: All right. Well, Rory, thank you so much for joining me in StudioOne.

RA: Thanks, Alyssa. Have a great day.

AB: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning into our latest episode produced by StudioOne. For more information, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.