A Quick Guide To Storm Season at IAS..
Kyle Dubben | February 18, 2020
Hello everybody. I hope you’ve enjoyed some time off during the slow season. (you’ve fortunately / unfortunately had some time off, right?)…
Regardless, its time to get ready for the New Year of Storm Season, and we’re here to give you some tips on how to make the most of it.
Read on, to be successful during the upcoming Storm Season’s deployment with IAS, and as an IA in general. What follows are tips and tricks to make sure you make the most out of what we’re all gearing up for….
Step 1 - Get your license(s) / certs / background in order...
Make sure your licenses are up to date. Get or verify your home state license. Check the reciprocating states. Make sure you’re able & available to work anywhere you want to be deployed. Apply / get licensed in the states you might be missing on your target list.
Update your resume to show the experience you’ve gained. Add your new certifications. Tell us about the CE credits you took. Let us know about what you’ve been doing.
When a Cat Event happens, an updated license and resume will make sure you get out in the field as soon as possible, which is kind of the point, isn’t it?
Step 2 - Update your roster information...
Ok, so now that you’ve got your shiny, recently updated resume & licenses, make sure we know about them. Building on step 1, you can update every bit of your details, but if you don’t let anyone know, its kind of like just screaming your name from the hilltops, isn’t it?
If you’ve never worked with IAS before, sign up to be on our roster at:
https://www.iasclaims.com/register/
Be complete. Fill out all the information requested. To be honest, if you don’t complete your profile, and 100+ other adjusters do, we’re going to look at the ones with completed profiles first. During a cat event, we don’t always have time to reach out and collect every adjuster’s information manually, and to be fair, if you’re a good adjuster, we shouldn’t have to. Your work (including your profile details) should speak for itself, and to us is the first indication of the effort you’re willing to put in to the job.
If you have worked with IAS before, you definitely need to update your Claimatic profile before cat season starts at:
(*please note the updated website address)
Make sure your profile is up to date, for the reasons listed above and even more so. If you’ve worked with us before, you know it’s the least of what we expect for you to continue to be one of our trusted resources.
Oh, and I’d hope it goes without being said, but update your profiles with any other IA firms you work with. Our requirements aren’t unique in the industry – most other IA Firms will appreciate updated information as well…
Step 3 - Prep Your Ride...
Seems obvious, but may people forget to make sure their vehicle is ready to get them through cat season until it’s too late.
Do the oil change you’ve been waiting on. Go ahead with any maintenance you’ve been putting off. Get the tires changed if needed. Check your spare tire & make sure its still good. (did you know spare tires expire? they do! ) Make sure you’ve got a good set of jumper cables. Cat events are stressful – don’t get caught out unnecessarily by neglecting your ride.
Put together an emergency kit with blankets, flashlights, and enough food, water and provisions to get you through a few days in case of an emergency, and keep it in your car. Make sure you have a first aid kit as well. Your vehicle can be your lifeblood in a cat event. Make sure its as ready as you are.
Step 4 - Organize your gear...
Now’s the time to go through your gear and make sure you’ve got everything you need to hit the ground running when a deployment happens. Double check your tools. Get replacements for those that need it and stock up on duplicates for the things that go missing or break often. It’s not always possible to just run down to the hardware store for a new tape measure during a cat event, so think ahead and be prepared.
The same goes for your electronics. Fix any issues you might be having with your laptop. Make sure you’re covered by checking and getting spares for all of your camera batteries, charging cables, memory cards and the like. Upgrade your cell phone if its time, and get a wireless hotspot if your phone doesn’t support this functionality. You can’t always bank on reliable internet on the road, so it’s best to be ready before you go.
Below is a list of items we find helpful to have in your kit when its time to deploy. This list is by no means exhaustive, but our guys have found these things handy time & again while out on deployment.
LADDERS!
Tool Belt
Pitch gauge
35′ tape measure
100′ tape measure
Laser measuring device
Measuring Wheel
Clear safety glasses
Quality flashlight
Pocket electrical tester
Swiss army knife
Multi-tool
Magnet
Mechanics and rubber gloves
Roofing shoes / boots
Bucket of sidewalk chalk
Comprehensive tool box
Bungee cords for strapping down ladder to gutter
Ping pong balls to help slide tape up steep roofs
Laptop
Wireless hotspot
Printer/copier/scanner
Digital camera w/memory cards
Time for a new cell phone?
Handsfree earpiece for phone
GPS Unit or phone app
Backup power adaptors for laptop and phones
Car mount for laptop
Cleaning wipes for phone/computer screens
Weather Radio
Pens/pencils
Highliter Pens
Clip board
Legal pads
Calculator
Portable file holder
File Folders
Stapler
Rubber Bands
Paper Clips
Really good coffee mug
Great pair of sunglasses
Backup pairs of sunglasses
Filtered face masks
Lots of bottled water
Ibuprofen/Aspirin
Sunscreen
Lip Balm
Hand Sanitizer
Wet wipes
Paper Towels
Plastic bags
First aid kit
Bug spray
Pepper Spray
Stick on heating pads (great for cramps / aches)
Kneeling board / knee pads
Umbrella
Rubber boots
Rain coat. (cheap cape ones with hoods are great)
Cooler packed with snacks
Step 5 - Hurry up and wait...
All right, now you’ve got your ducks in a row. Your truck’s prepped and ready, you’ve got the toolkit locked down, and your licenses and cert’s are polished and updated. Now what?
Many adjusters take the wait and see approach at this point, watching the weather and hoping for a storm and a call, but we think there’s much more you could be doing.
Use this time to really dig in to your relationships and sell yourself. Cast that net far and wide – update your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, and reach out to your adjuster contacts across the industry. Connect with IA firms on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram and follow the major adjuster groups on these platforms. Post and share articles to your networks that you find helpful. Go to local adjuster meetings if they’re available in your area. Expanding your reach in these ways will ensure that you’re getting the most out of your network, and will help you stay connected to the industry, and see more of the news and postings from industry veterans to keep in the know. Put yourself out there and get involved – it will help you make the new relationships you need, and ultimately, to get deployed time and time again when there’s a cat event.
