Insurance commissioner and state senator to speak at community's wildfire preparedness day

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Al Tahoe Firewise USA® Community and the City of South Lake Tahoe are hosting a community-wide wildfire preparedness event on Saturday, May 6 from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center. The first Saturday in May is National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day.

As of January 2023, new wildfire mitigation, insurance, and home inspection laws have officially been implemented for California residents. California Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara, is the keynote speaker for the event and will provide in-depth information about how being safer from wildfires can help your insurance. Commissioner Lara created a new insurance pricing regulation to recognize and reward wildfire safety and mitigation efforts made by homeowners and businesses. This regulation is the first in the nation requiring insurance companies to provide discounts to consumers under the Safer from Wildfires framework created by the California Department of Insurance in partnership with state emergency preparedness agencies.

Safer from Wildfires also includes community mitigation through the nationally recognized Firewise USA® program.

"Protecting Californians from deadly wildfires means everyone doing their part, including insurance companies by rewarding consumers for being safer from wildfires," said Commissioner Lara when he enforced the regulation. "My Department will work diligently to increase discounts to reward the hard work that California consumers do to protect their families, homes, businesses, and communities.”

California State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, special guest speaker, will discuss her efforts and collaboration with Commissioner Lara while serving on the Insurance Committee. State Senator Alvarado-Gil was recently elected in 2022 and represents the 4th district of California which includes the counties of Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Stanislaus, Madera, Mono, Merced, Nevada, and Inyo.

The City of South Lake Tahoe’s Fire Marshal Kim George and Battalion Chief Karl Koeppen will present information on how to mitigate wildfires and create defensible space. Dianne Rees, Al Tahoe Community Firewise Leader, will provide details on how to form a Firewise USA® recognized district and the value it brings to communities.

All city and county residents and businesses are invited to attend this free and informative event. They also welcome other interested community members, including insurance underwriters, tree and landscape service providers, and realtors.

The Al Tahoe Firewise success story will be shared and other neighborhoods can learn how they can work to protect their neighborhood.

Event Agenda (subject to change):

11:30 a.m. - Opening

There will be a round table discussion with State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, Fire Marshal Kim George, Fire Chief Jim Drennan, and Al Tahoe Community Firewise Leader, Dianne Rees.

The audience will be given cards to post questions that will be addressed during the question and answer period following the round table.

3:30 p.m. - Closing

Sombreros Taco Truck will be on-site for food purchases at the event.