The future of homeowners’ insurance is increasingly uncertain, especially for those of us who live in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
One of the main challenges we face as policyholders is that the current local fire code is less strict than the risk evaluation process used by the insurance companies. That is, they’re misaligned.
Consequently, a homeowner can pass Berkeley’s annual fire inspection but still face non-renewal or cancellation of their policy.
The EMBER initiative would solve this misalignment problem and therefore increase the likelihood that Berkeley homeowners can keep their insurance and potentially even qualify for an insurance discount.
EMBER is technically several amendments to the existing fire code. The new codes are clear and specific, and align Berkeley fire inspection requirements with the scientifically validated best practices adopted by the insurance industry. These best practices include the ember-resistant Zone Zero and home hardening.
Of the many reasons why our community should support EMBER, reducing the likelihood of insurance non-renewal or cancellation is certainly one of the most compelling.
Note: The Fire Chief’s report to City Council on February 11th (page 7 of 53) was the source for this opinion piece.
This document is a personal opinion by the author, and does not purport to represent the views of the website