CSFA’s Joe Stewart, Bob Hamilton and Executive Director Gene Gantt with California Casualty’s Tami Phillips and Roxanne Dean
At California Casualty, we pride ourselves on being there when you need help, or to celebrate your achievements. Recently, we have done both.
Helpful Giving
The terrible fire in Paradise, California, destroyed the entire community, including homes of many law enforcement officers and firefighters who faced the flames to protect others. The California Casualty CARES Committee, which assists the many groups we serve, donated to the North Valley Community Foundation Camp Fire Relief Fund, at the behest of the California State Firefighters’ Association. The fund aids public safety employees whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the flames.
CTA Controller Wei Pan and Beau Brown
The California Casualty CARES Committee also gave $20,000 to the CTA Disaster Relief Fund. The funds will help provide financial assistance to CTA members who have experienced significant losses due to the fires in California.
We also learned that Paradise Intermediate School (PINT) was one of eight schools in the Paradise area that were either destroyed or too damaged to hold classes. The staff (35 of whom lost homes in the fire) was forced to find a temporary facility, 20 miles away in a vacant hardware store in Chico.
Christy Forward (left) celebrating with Reiner Light, Camp Fire Education Administrator; Kat Kennedy, PINT teacher; PINT Principal Cris Dunlap; Larry Johnson, PINT Co-Principal
Knowing the emotional roller coaster that the administrators, teachers and employees have endured, our Field Marketing Manager Christy Forward, who spent hours helping people while the fire raged, arranged to give PINT a $7,500 School Lounge Makeover to make their days at school a little more soothing and relaxed.
The gift was announced January 17, and Principal Cris Dunlap (who lost her home) was moved to tears as she said, “We’ve focused so much on giving students a learning space and place to be with their teachers and friends. As educators, we put others ahead of ourselves. It’s so nice that California Casualty recognizes the valor of our teachers and everything they are doing to be there for our kids and to keep the district going.”
The finished makeover should be revealed later this month and will be relocated to the school in Paradise once repairs are finished.
Roxanne Dean and Beau Brown presenting CARES Check to Kevin Michelson, CPOMF President
Meanwhile, California Casualty continued our decades-long support of the men and women who wear a badge and uniform in California. In January, the California Casualty CARES Committee presented a $15,000 check to benefit the California Peace Officer’s Memorial Foundation (CPOMF) scholarship fund, which is available to family members of California peace officers who have died in the line of duty.
“As a child who lost her father in the line of duty, I am very thankful for the foundation to help me in continuing my education,” wrote one recipient. “I deeply appreciate your support towards the fallen officers and supporting their families, and I promise you I will work very hard and give back to others when I have completed my student teaching.”
“I take pride in being part of your foundation and am grateful to your contribution to my schooling,” wrote another.
CPOMF also funds and organizes the California Peace Officers’ Memorial and the annual commemorative memorial service in May. California Casualty is honored to support such a worthwhile organization that provides so much to the families of fallen officers.
Celebrations
Beau and Award for Teaching Excellence Recipients
One of the most prestigious honors in public education is the California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence. California Casualty has partnered with the NEA Foundation for many years to present awards. This year, 46 instructors, the most ever, were recognized. Each awardee’s school received $500, and California Casualty CEO, Beau Brown, helped hand out the awards at the NEA Foundation’s annual Excellence in Education Gala in February.
For over two decades, California Casualty has provided $200 Help Your Classroom grants to educators across the country to help purchase supplies or educational materials. Each month, eight recipients are chosen, and we get dozens of thank
you cards every year. Recently, our Washington Sr. Field Marketing Manager, Michelle Hawkins, was able to present the grant to Robin H., in Port Angeles. Robin, who used the funds to purchase a label maker for her school district, said,
California Casualty Sr. Field Marketing Manager Michelle Hawkins with Help Your Classroom recipient Robin H.
“Every year the district orders supplies to stock up for the entire school year. I was able to contribute to our supply closet. It was very fun to win.”
We are proud of the support we give to the groups to which you belong.
TAKEAWAY:
See some of the ways California Casualty gives back to the groups we partner with at www.calcas.com/newsroom.
Seeing a wall of flames or a madly spinning tornado bearing down on your community or neighborhood is the worst time to wonder, “Do I have enough insurance to build my home again?”
While some areas of the country have already experienced tornadoes and record flooding, fire and storm season is just beginning.
We’ve seen enough disasters to know the stress and financial impact they leave behind. More out-of-control fires and powerful storms have resulted in higher cleanup costs, elevated rebuilding prices and shortages of manpower and materials, due to the damage in a concentrated area.
It’s very important to make sure that you have enough insurance for your home and property.
Here’s why:
Half of American homeowners have told experts that they don’t really know what their homeowners insurance policy covers
Other studies estimate that six out of ten homeowners are underinsured by an average of 20 percent – meaning if their house costs $200,000 to replace, they would fall short by about $40,000 if they had a total loss
Less than 20 percent of those in flood or earthquake-prone areas have flood or earthquake insurance
Here are some of the factors that could lead to a home being underinsured:
Improvements and upgrades. When you buy new appliances, remodel kitchens and bathrooms or add on to your home, those improvements may not be covered by your original insurance policy.
Hazardous materials removal costs. After a disaster, your property may be full of dangerous chemicals, asbestos and other hazardous materials. It may take months to get proper permits, and the costs to remove the toxic residue can be quite high.
Rising construction costs. After large-scale disasters, building materials, construction crews and equipment may be in short supply. Costs in many areas have skyrocketed after massive property destruction.
Updated building codes. Rebuilding an older home to meet today’s safety codes may be expensive, especially if you bought your home decades ago.
Limited loss of use coverage. Make sure you have enough coverage to pay for extra living expenses (rent, food and other essentials) while your home is rebuilt or repaired. It’s important to factor in extended time after large disasters, sometimes more than a year.
Not enough personal property protection. Make sure that you have enough contents coverage to replace the many items you own – bedding, clothing, kitchen items and electronics. Don’t forget scheduled personal property for high value items, such as jewelry, special musical instruments, fine art and collectibles.
Being Prepared
A yearly policy review is a must. As your insurance partner, it’s imperative that you tell us about any home improvements/upgrades that you’ve made. A California Casualty advisor will take the time to explain your policy and help make sure that you have the coverage you need with the discounts you deserve.
Its’s also important that you make an inventory of your possessions. Not only will it help determine the amount of coverage you need, but it speeds up the process of replacing those items. Only half of American homeowners and renters have done an inventory, which could leave them in the lurch after a disaster.
TAKEAWAY:
Take a moment and contact one of our customer service representatives for your policy review by calling 1.800.800.9410, option 3.
Spring is when we at California Casualty take a moment to reflect on the previous year and look forward to new ways of serving you.
We’ve just held 2019 kickoff gatherings in our Claims, Customer Service, Partner Relations, Sales and Underwriting departments. Teams came together to share experiences, discuss areas of improvement, and detail new initiatives, with the common goal of providing the protection and service that you deserve.
Exceptional customer experience is our priority. From implementing updated software, streamlined processes, and lessons learned, we are well-equipped for this year and the future.
Staying true to our 105-year history of personalized care, California Casualty is finding innovative ways to continue to follow our founding principles of putting the customer first, and delivering on our obligations with high ethics and business integrity.
In his 2019 message to the company, fourth-generation CEO, Beau Brown, highlighted how proud he felt watching employees come together for policyholders following the various disasters of 2018: Hurricanes Florence and Michael, damaging Rocky Mountain hailstorms, and deadly fires in California.
Beau recognized the concerted effort by everyone at California Casualty, saying, “While many of our employees did not directly talk to customers in the aftermath of these disasters, you all did your part to support what was a company-wide team effort to fulfill our promises. I am very proud of everyone who gave so much to serve the people we insure. Thank you.”
While other companies are focusing more on profits, we remain steadfast in our focus on you. As the year progresses, we’ll share more details surrounding the initiatives that will directly impact you as we improve our way of doing business. These will include easier-to-read policy documents, less paperwork, and quicker conversations as our systems improve. It’s how we plan to maintain some of the best Customer Service and Claims satisfaction ratings in the industry – which were 98 percent and 96 percent, respectively, for 2018.
TAKEAWAY:
Read more about California Casualty, our people and our mission to help others in our Annual Report, found at https://www.calcas.com/Our-Company.
We see them every day. Someone drifting across lanes, running through stop signs or driving well below the speed limit while talking, texting or checking something on their smartphone. Someone driving distracted.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, dedicated to educating and eliminating the scourge of inattentive drivers on America’s highways and byways. Unfortunately, too many of us are making bad decisions behind the wheel, and there is much more work to be done.
Five Most Distracted Cities
TrueMotion, a company that uses sensors and driving information to help make roads safer, analyzed the data from thousands of vehicles to determine the areas with the most distracted drivers in America. Their findings:
St. Louis
Phoenix
Atlanta
Salt Lake City
Fort Worth
The states with the most distracted drivers were Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Missouri and Louisiana.
Here’s the scary part – TrueMotion found drivers in the most distracted areas were not paying attention almost 20 percent of their time behind the wheel. You wouldn’t want to be a nearby pedestrian or driving next to them during one of their many lapses.
You Know the Danger
Let’s face it, every city has distracted drivers. They are not only a nuisance, but a danger to us and the ones that we love.
The problem of distracted driving continues to increase. Sixty percent of us admit to taking our eyes off the road to text, check social media or look up directions. The National Safety Councilestimates that at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured every day in distracted driving crashes. One study found that 84 percent of us feel threatened when we see a driver concentrating on an electronic device, rather than traffic and the roadway. One recent study concluded that people talking on the phone while driving were as impaired as someone who tests for the legal limit of blood-alcohol.
What Can You Do?
Despite collision avoidance systems, the accident rate continues to climb. Traffic experts warn that inattentive and aggressive driving is the cause for all too many crashes. Here are some defensive driving tips that can help you avoid these drivers:
Keep scanning the area ahead and behind you
Drive with both hands on the wheel to better respond to dangers
Don’t follow too close
Slow down in bad weather
Have an escape plan
Avoid driving when tired or drowsy
You can also help stop distracted driving:
Set a good example for others. Many teens say while their parents lecture them about texting or not paying attention while driving, their parents text or fiddle with phones while they drive
Turn off phones or use the text and call blocker when driving
Plan and review trip directions before driving, and pull over if you need to read or program navigation systems
Create music or podcast lists before setting off on your drive
Don’t drink, eat, or do other actions (grooming, turning to talk to others, etc.) that could be a distraction while driving
Teaching young drivers is one of the best ways to prevent this type of driving behavior. That’s why California Casualty is proud to be a major sponsor of Impact Teen Drivers, a nonprofit formed with the law enforcement and education groups that uses peer-to-peer tactics to educate teen and young adults about the dangers of distracted and reckless driving. Learn more at https://www.calcas.com/web/ccmc/impact-teen-drivers.
Experts recommend that everyone take a defensive driving course to learn these techniques. It can also help you get a discount on your auto insurance.
Before you hit the road, make sure you have adequate protection in case you encounter a distracted or aggressive driver. Call a California Casualty advisor today for an auto policy review, at 1.800.800.9410 or visit www.calcas.com.
This article provided by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.800.800.9410 or www.calcas.com.
In Episode 1, you got to see what happened when Giselle and Jayden got picked up by Law Enforcement and got a glimpse of the bravery and heroism it takes to protect the community while learning that behind the badge are moms, dads, brothers, sisters…regular people who have dedicated themselves to making a difference in the world we live in.
During Episode 2, Jayden and Giselle get brought in to the station. Check out what happens in the interrogation room and in the bomb and arson unit. Plus, find out who gets the cuffs in the end!
Seeing a wall of flames or a madly spinning tornado bearing down on your community or neighborhood is the worst time to wonder, “Do I have enough insurance to build my home again?”
