Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships to Improve Readiness and Responsiveness for Catastrophic Events

Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships to Improve Readiness and Responsiveness for Catastrophic Events

A commitment by the public and private sectors to cooperate on advanced planning helps ensure that disaster response will be swift, timely and comprehensive for the public. By implementing best practices in several key areas the public and private sector can improve readiness and responsiveness for catastrophic events.

Three key approaches that are based on best practices can increase efficiencies and provide quicker assistance to the public include:

• Disaster Planning and Response Management • Expedited Claims Processing • Improved Communications Coordination and Use of Social Media

Disaster Planning and Response Management Prior planning and coordination of efforts are always critical to successfully managing the response to a catastrophic event. Establishing critical communication lines between public and private sectors, developing response and continuity plans and gathering information prior to an event is the critical first step towards successfully managing the response to a catastrophic situation.

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) will provide an insurance perspective on a framework for setting up a state disaster coalition to build those lines of communications, establishing Insurance Emergency Operations Centers, creating guidelines of pre‐event data collection and disaster response and business continuity planning.

Expedited Claims Processing A key step for the public on the road to recovery after a catastrophic event is getting their insurance claims adjusted and resolved as quickly as possible. PCI will provide best practices for increased public-private coordination for adjuster access to damaged areas, emergency licensing of adjusters, emergency debris removal/waiver of inspection, extension of claims deadlines and expanding claims payment methods.

Improved Communications Coordination and Use of Social Media Social media has enhanced the ability to share real-time information with the public before, during and post catastrophe. Increased public-private communications collaboration would further extend the reach of communications and amplify the voices of the public and private sectors. PCI would share information on how insurers are increasingly using social media communication tools to provide readiness information, emergency services, response information and filing claims, event updates and other key information and how insurers could further collaborate with other key stakeholders.