Wildfire-Workshop-Presentation-Tara-Laidman

1. Adapting to a changing climate
in the management of wildfire
risks
Presented by Tara Laidman of The Co-operators
Associate Vice President, National Product Portfolio

2. Agenda
• The Canadian Landscape
• Strengthening our communities:
• Through Education
• Supporting risk reduction
• Responding to increasing wildfire risk:
• Learning from Fort MacMurray
• Rating/Wildfire modeling
• Partnering – Government/Expert Organizations

3. The Canadian Landscape: Wildfire in Canada
• Apart from Fort McMurray
we have been fortunate:
Only 3 significant interface
fire losses in 16 years
• Fire is a natural part of our
ecosystem – most of our
forests are fire adapted
• Almost half of wildland
fire in Canada is caused by
lightning . The rest by
human activity
• More can be done to plan
for future fires

4. Strengthening our Communities: Education,
Education, Education
E-ALERTS
WHAT’S MY
RISK??
CLIENT
NEWSLETTERS

5. Strengthening our Communities: Reducing
Risk of Wildfire to clients
• FireSmart™ Home Partners Program:
• Promote wildfire resiliency in AB and BC
communities.
• Helps homeowners identify ways they can reduce
wildfire risk, apply loss prevention measures, get
FireSmart ™ certified, enjoy savings on their
insurance.
ROOFING MATERIAL
BALCONY/DECK/FENCING
GUTTERS & EAVES
BUILDING EXTERIOR
LOCATION OF NEARBY
COMBUSTIBLES
ROOF MAINTENANCE

6. Responding to Increasing Wildfire Risk:
Learning from Fort McMurray
• Unprecedented experience during and
after Canada’s largest natural disaster
in history. Led to:
• Coverage improvements & new
coverages
• CAT ‘exercises’ to ensure we can
co-ordinate and respond to large
scale major events.
• Wildfire Tracking Tool : monitor
active fires in Canada, make
business decisions
• Insurance industry actively
working with the Government of
Alberta to support recovery.
• The use of replacement cost
insurance strengthened the
resilience of the community to
future hazards

7. Responding to Increasing Wildfire Risk:
Rating/Modeling
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
• Rate by Peril:
• Use modeling to identify wildfire
zone and price for the fire portion
of insurance risk
• Use Wildfire Zones to identify risk
exposure
• Allows us to have transparent
conversations with clients and
guide them in loss prevention
measures
• Need to continue to think differently
regarding prevention

8. Partnering – Insurance/Expert
Organizations/Government