At our recent Wind Insurance Symposium, Fred Malik from the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), outlined six simple steps that home and business owners can follow to strengthen structures and mitigate damages from high winds. As a result, you also benefit from reduced insurance premium rates.
“Typically we’re stuck in response mode,” Malik told the audience when discussing coastal storms. “But, we must change our approach and make buildings stronger before disaster hits. It may not be hurricane or tornado proof, but we can make it more resilient to damage.”
Malik, who is project manager for the Institute’s FORTIFIED program, said the goal is to make buildings safer and stronger to protect lives and the property inside those structures.
Those six simples steps are:
1. Apply online for a FORTIFIED evaluation.
2. Schedule an evaluation.
3. Have FORTIFIED evaluation performed.
4. Receive and review the customized report.
5. Take action to retrofit existing homes or build new home following FORTIFIED plan.
6. Get designated.
Download the complete FORTIFIED Six Steps
Alabama state law mandates insurance discounts on wind premiums for homes built or retrofitted to the FORTIFIED standards.
