Safer From Wildfires Benefits Available to You

Through a new set of rules dubbed Safer from Wildfires, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) has required insurance companies doing business in the state to provide discounts for residential property insurance when policyholders reduce their wildfire risks.

The Safer from Wildfires menu of creditable activities includes community-wide mitigation in the form of participation in the *Firewise USA® recognition program.

Safer From Wildfires is a volunteer program, administered by CalFire, and is available for all California residents. The program is a collaborative effort between CalFire, the State of California, and the insurance companies - and was designed to give us folks in high fire areas a lifeline to future insurability.

Does my insurance company offer a wildfire risk reduction discount? 

California’s new rules come years after a few insurance companies had already voluntarily been offering discounts to their policyholders living in certified *Safer From Wildfires Neighborhoods. For customers of USAA, Mercury, and a couple of other companies, this benefit was already available.

As of 10/1/24 ALL insurance companies in California are required to provide discounts to properties that are recognized through the national database for *FirewiseUSA Neighborhoods. Refer to your insurance policy documents, or reach out to your agent for your policies specific rate reductions.

The CDI maintains a list of all the insurers doing business in the state that offer wildfire risk reduction discounts, whether for being a *Firewise USA site or for meeting other criteria outlined in their program menu. 

Am I eligible for a discount?

Insurance companies have access to information about whether properties are part of a *Safer From Wildfires site through data providers that are working with NFPA®. Your eligibility should be determined using this data. NFPA cannot make this determination for consumers, so it’s best to contact your insurance agent or a company representative with questions about eligibility.

I am more worried about losing my insurance than getting a discount. Does wildfire risk reduction make my home more insurable?

In known high-risk areas, insurance companies are generally very interested in any wildfire loss reduction efforts that homeowners are making, especially if they fall into the categories listed in the Safer from Wildfire program such as the free volunteer *FirewiseUSA program. Whether to provide insurance or not, the cost of the policy, and any discounts are all decisions of the individual insurance company, which it bases on many different factors

Consumer education professionals advise that property owners shop around for insurance, since insurance companies compete for business. CDI also provides consumer protections for property owners, including what to do if your insurer does not renew your coverage.

For more info:  **Fire Safe Community Agent  Shelly Black  (949) 697-8553 tcnoir93@gmail.com

Our Fire Safe Community Membeship fee is to participate in our community driven **Fire Safe Community. Within that Community, members are guided through proper Community Wildfire Mitigation Efforts that may result in qualifying for Recognition in Safer From Wildfire plans. 

**Fire Safe Community Disclaimer 

*Important - the Safer From Wildfires Program is a volunteer program that is free and available to all California Residents. There is no fee to participate in, or create, a Safer From Wildfires Neighborhood such as FirewiseUSA.

NOITCE TO ALL CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS REGARDING SAFER FROM WILDFIRES PROGRAMS

California has enacted “Safer from Wildfires” regulations that require insurance companies to recognize Firewise USA^® designated communities by providing discounts to property owners in those communities as of 10/1/24. 

NFPA processes Firewise USA applications and provides information on the communities that have earned that designation to companies that provide data to home insurers doing business in California. 

NFPA updates the boundary data for all communities in good standing in the Firewise USA program twice a year, in March and October. This information is then available to insurance companies through the data providers.

The Role NFPA Plays 

As people in California learn about the connection between Firewise USA participation and insurance, it’s important to realize how the program works and that the benefits of participation do not happen instantaneously. It’s also important to understand the role NFPA plays in this process. 

• Firewise USA recognition is a voluntary process for community-wide education and action. It is not recognition nor certification of action for individual properties. The process for communities to meet all the Firewise USA recognition criteria can take between six months and one year. 
• NFPA does not inspect, validate, or review information about specific addresses or homes. 
• NFPA is not a regulatory body nor an insurance company. NFPA cannot make determinations about specific addresses, nor can it contact insurance companies on behalf of consumers. It cannot provide data instantly to insurance companies. 
• NFPA invests significant resources in updating the boundary data twice a year, but depending on when a community is officially recognized, it could take up to six months for insurance companies to access the data showing that specific properties are within a Firewise USA boundary.

Recognizing the pressure that residents are facing around insurance costs and the value of Firewise USA in demonstrating wildfire risk reduction, NFPA is working to double the speed of collecting, validating, and transmitting the boundary data to its licensed partners. Quarterly updates of data provided to insurers are typical industry standard. Even with quarterly updates, though, it could still take up to three months for insurers to access the Firewise USA data.

What Can California Residents Do Now? 

For California residents facing insurance challenges who need to take immediate action, NFPA recommends contacting an insurer and/or a reputable, experienced insurance agent or broker to review your options. 

The nonprofit consumer organization United Policyholders offers free guidance on shopping in today’s marketplace and reducing your home’s chances of being damaged or destroyed in a natural disaster. You can also contact the California Department of Insurance for information on state insurance regulations.

* Important - the FirewiseUSA Program is a volunteer program that is free and available to all California Residents. There is no fee to participate in, or create, a FirewiseUSA Neighborhood. This Annual Membeship fee is to participate in our Fire Safe Community, which within that Community, members are taken through the process to become Nationally Recognized in the FirewiseUSA Program.