Women’s Independent Press

Joann Cusumano Sciulli, AAI
Cusumano Insurance Agency, Inc.
PHONE: 412-655-4432 Ext 16
FAX: 412-653-4430
jsciulli@cusumanoinsurance.com

The Insurance Information Institute released a free mobile
disaster preparedness app that provides safety tips, communication
tools and checklists for common disasters. This helps people prepare
for severe winter weather, wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes and
other types of disasters.

One of the best ways to make it through a catastrophe is to be prepared
beforehand. The Know Your Plan app has several checklists containing
preparedness steps and property protection steps. App users are also able
to build their own customized checklists from scratch. Every list allows
users to set completion dates, record progress and add personal notes to
various tasks.
There are also other options. App users are able to share their lists with friends and family members. In addition to this, there are resources available for planning evacuations. This also includes evacuation of pets. The helpful app also provides up-to-the-minute data about disaster details and local evacuation routes. Know Your Plan is available from iTunes, and it can be found by searching for the Insurance Information Institute on the iPhone App Store.
During the past 10 years, insurance companies spent almost $250 billion in settling the claims of disaster victims throughout the United States. The overall cost of catastrophes is rising continuously, so insurance companies are looking for every helpful tool they can find to help speed up the repair process and prevent unnecessary injuries to humans.
The I.I.I. partnered with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety to develop property mitigation information. The IBHS is a respected organization specializing in building science research and communications. This organization tries to reduce the negative effects of disasters through research, maintenance, improved construction and encouraging preparedness.
In 2011, many communities throughout the United States experienced record-breaking catastrophes. The IBHS and the I.I.I. want to lessen the amount of future damage from such strong catastrophic occurrences. With so many people using the iPhone, the two organizations knew it would be possible to reach out to millions of people to help them take control of risks through proper preparedness. Some of the new app’s features include the following editable checklists:
- Earthquake
- Flood
- Hurricane
- Tornado
- Wildfire
- Severe Cold
- Emergency Kit
- Evacuation
- Blank Checklist
There are also note-taking features for individual tasks, and users have the option to select due dates for their checklists. A countdown feature is included for progress tracking. There is a Google Crisis Response feed allowing access to emergency information from local sources.
This app is the second in a series of apps created by the I.I.I. The first app is Know Your Stuff, and it includes home inventory information. Know Your Stuff is available for both Android and iPhone users. For more information about preparing for catastrophes, discuss concerns with an agent.