Features MAJOR LOSS Midway’s incident support unit in action
A resident with the loss adjusters
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Would you know what to expect if your block suffered a major loss? Here’s what happened when Midway staged a simulated fire at one of the blocks they insure
Would you know what was likely to happen if you were faced with a major loss at your property, perhaps as a result of a fire or
major storm damage? How would you deal with the impacts and would you know what to expect if the worst happened. Paul Robertson, Managing Director at Midway Insurance (the parent company to 1st Sure Flats) was determined to find out if the planning that his company has in place for these rare events is good enough. So the company set out to simulate - in a realistic environment - what would happen in the event of a major loss.
Midway insures around 7% of the market for privately owned residential flats in the UK, so drawing on real life experience, Paul used past events to plan the scene for the simulation. With the cooperation of Crabtree Property Management - together with two insurers and two loss adjusters - Midway ran through a pre- planned loss scenario. Involving the managing agent was key to the success of the day. They were able to warn residents that Midway would be on site and played a central part in the day’s events. With displaced flat owners milling around (a cast of 14 taking part in the simulation event) Midway used some pictures of a previous major loss at a similar block to set the scene.
Imagine the situation. A property has been badly damaged following a fire. Firefighters are on site, having been called at 5am in the morning and after three hours manage to extinguish the fire. The occupants have been woken either by the horrific noise of the fire or by the fire brigade breaking down their door to perform a search and rescue mission. Damping down is still in progress and the police are on site, using ‘scene of crime’ tape to secure the block. It is standard practice for the authorities to secure the site of a major
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communicate effectively and take time to ensure all stakeholders –
simulation highlighted the need to
"The major loss
lessees, tenants and freeholders –
Harris, Crabtree Group Insurance Controller
policy in the aftermath of a disaster." Steve
understand what is covered under the buildings insurance
loss while they identify what has happened and investigate if any crime has been committed. Was it arson? Has anyone been injured and if so was anyone responsible?
Once the police are satisfied, it is over to the fire brigade and local authority to confirm the premises are safe to enter or not. The authorities will frequently ban access to the property, leaving the occupiers on the street. They will do this to ensure that no one is endangered by falling masonry or unsafe stairways. If the evacuation of the property is swiftly done, it is likely that residents will be displaced; they may even find they are out of their home with no access to clothing, money or any of life’s other necessities including a
mobile phone, possibly in the middle of the night. It is at this point that the building’s insurers should step in. The situation needs to be managed quickly by the loss adjusters to deliver support to traumatised residents. There will be an immediate need to arrange emergency accommodation and many people will be affected.
Last year Midway invested in the purchase and fit-out of a Major Incident Support unit, with the specific intention of being able to help flat owners in their time of greatest need. This fully equipped mobile office is able to get to the site of a major loss and ensure that a fully functioning communications centre is available to help residents when they need support and a rapid response from their insurer. By having a mobile office on site, appointments can be made with individuals and the authorities to ensure that all issues are dealt with as efficiently as possible, effecting an acceptable outcome for all involved.
Following the simulation, it was clear that more focus needs to be placed on what to do in the event of a major incident. It is clear that good communication from the insurers, through their appointed loss adjusters and then the property managers is the key to achieving a satisfactory outcome when handling any significant loss and the incident support unit helps to facilitate this. Midway has now made several improvements to its planning of major loss handling and has produced client guidance detailing what to expect. Paul comments that the planning of the exercise enabled Midway to explore some of the unchallenged issues that remain in the block insurance industry. As a result, Midway and 1st Sure Flats’ clients can expect some policy wording updates as well as refinements to in-house processes, ensuring the companies remain at the top of their game.
At Flat Living Live on 8 and 9 July, Midway will be presenting a summary of the event they simulated. This is worth seeing as it includes simulated television coverage and interviews with angry residents in a dynamic hour-long session. These challenging scenarios aim to make you think carefully about planning how you would deal with a major loss. Back by popular demand will be the distressed resident with her unusual pet, along with some seriously angry residents in dressing gowns. Sessions on both days are being held at 10.30 am.
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