FALL 2005

‘A TALE OF TWO HOUSES’ UPDATE:

Punta Gorda, Fla., couple’s worst nightmare has transformed into the sweetest of dreams. Teresa Fogolina and Jim Minardi took official ownership of From Hurricane their new storm-resistant home at a home dedication A ceremony on Sept. 16, 2005. The home’s construction Nightmare To was a joint effort of the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH®), Dream Come True home improvement guru Bob Vila, and Mercedes Homes. Completion of the new DISASTER OFFERS AN home put to rest the couple’s nightmare OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE encounter with Hurricane From Left: Teresa Fogolini and Jim Minardi cut the ribbon for their new ABOUT SAFER HOMES home with Jesse Gonzales of Mercedes Homes, Leslie Chapman-Henderson, FLASH CEO, Michael Morris of Mercedes Homes, and Bob Vila. Charley in 2004, an By Leslie Chapman-Henderson, President and CEO, experience that made them the focus of FLASH’s ‘A Tale of Two Houses’ Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. - FLASH® program. After back-to-back hurricane seasons marked with such destruction and sadness, we all need Packing winds of 145 mph, Hurricane Charley made landfall just a positive story. We need a story, not just of survival, but of triumphant renewal. You get that CEO’s CORNER north of Captiva at about 4 pm on Friday, Aug. 13, 2004. Charley’s eye in this issue of Blueprint for Safety News. Teresa Fogolini and Jim Minardi know personally what too many people in Louisiana, then passed over Punta Gorda. Jim was alone inside their over 40- Mississippi, Texas and Florida are going through now. The Punta Gorda, Fla., couple lost nearly year-old house when the worst of Charley’s winds hit. He stayed inside everything last year when Hurricane Charlie ripped ashore on Aug. 13, destroying their home as long as he could. But when the house started to come apart he fled and almost taking Jim’s life. But sometimes tragedy offers opportunity. In this case a nonprofit, a home improvement guru, to a neighbor’s. He watched in horror as winds ripped the roof off his and a builder came together to turn the nightmare into a dream. More importantly FLASH®, home and tossed it into the canal. Bob Vila, and Mercedes Homes used the story to reach millions of people with critical information about ways to better safeguard their homes and families from disaster. He described the frightening scene as it happened over the telephone After Katrina, the media were desperate for positive stories among all those of heartbreak – to his wife Teresa, who was at the time visiting family out of state. CNN, MSNBC, ABC’s Good Morning America, Fox Magazine, Associated Press, and dozens

Teresa, clutching the receiver as if gripping Jim’s hand, quickly realized of Florida television affiliates and newspapers ran stories about Jim and Teresa and their new CEO’s CORNER storm-resistant home. their dream home was gone. They were among the thousands of As for me, I look forward to the day when the top news story after a hurricane is not about Charlotte County residents left homeless by this devastating hurricane. how many homes and lives were destroyed, but how many were saved thanks to safer (Continued On Page 4) building practices. FLASH is committed to bringing that day about.

TO SEE ‘A TALE OF TWO HOUSES’ VIDEO & SLIDESHOW For more information, VISIT www.Flash.org VISIT WWW.FLASH.ORG.

CEO’s CORNER CEO’s CORNER CEO’s CORNER ENHANCED ATTACHMENT METHODS FOR THE IMPACT-RESISTANT WINDOWS AND ROOF COVERINGS (BARREL TILES) SLIDING GLASS DOORS We used two stainless steel screws on the keep the windows and window glass in tiles instead or one (or none - most older place. No need for additional homes only have mortar). Widespread roofing shuttering. failure often follows problems with attachment methods. Roofing tiles can also become windborne debris.

SUPERIOR ROOF SYSTEM WITH ENHANCED SOLID WOOD BLOCKING CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE WALLS METAL CONNECTORS, THICKER DECKING BEHIND THE SOFFITS provide superior wind resistance to avoid failure and resulting and impact resistance from THAN REQUIRED BY THE BUILDING CODE water intrusion into the windborne debris. (PLYWOOD NOT OSB) AND INSTALLATION OF home’s interior. A SECONDARY WATER BARRIER to keep the roof on the house and water out.

IMPACT-RESISTANT GARAGE DOOR A home’s garage door is particularly vulnerable to failure under high wind PERMANENT GENERATOR pressure. This impact-resistant for power outage with a garage door passes more stringent special switching panel to SUSTAINABLE, tests than a wind pressure-only protect against electrocution. rated door and does not require LOW-MAINTENANCE additional shuttering. Sufficient to power AC and NATIVE TREES AND other crucial systems to keep WHOLE HOUSE SURGE things dry and prevent PROTECTION LANDSCAPE MATERIALS damage in the event of any to guard the house and are proven to stand their water intrusion. appliances against lightning ground in high winds and resist strike and power surges. erosion better than exotics.

OUTWARD OPENING ENTRY DOORS REINFORCED, IMPACT-RESISTANT ELEVATED ENTIRE FOUNDATION MOLD-RESISTANT DRYWALL FLEXIBLE EXTERIOR PAINT MEMBRANE STORM RESISTANT to reduce wind-driven rain WIND ABATEMENT SCREENING with a three-foot stem wall below with non-organic glass mats instead forms an extremely durable and leakage into the house and ACROSS THE LANAI the slab to mitigate for flood of paper discourages mold growth in flexible film which increases HOME reduce the possibility of wind Allows light in and keeps debris damage and help owners qualify the event of any water intrusion. resistance to wind-driven rain. MORE FEATURES:pressure blowing doors in. and most water out. for insurance credits/discounts. ‘A TALE DISASTER SAFETY THROUGH A few days later as Jim and Teresa OF TWO home, the project would be the focus of PARTNERSHIP were outside their destroyed home a season of Bob Vila’s nationally looking for anything salvageable, Leslie HOUSES’ syndicated television show. ACADEMIC PARTNERS Chapman-Henderson, FLASH President With a new partner in Bob Vila, Austin College and CEO, drove into their driveway. FLASH moved quickly to find a Central US Earthquake Consortium International Code Council Leslie was on a mission to bring some UPDATE: homebuilder. Through the University of Texas Tech Wind Science and Engineering Research Center good out of the bad created by (Continued From Florida, FLASH found Mercedes Homes, The Actuarial Foundation Page 1) Hurricane Charley. She asked them if a Melbourne-based company with a NATIONAL PARTNERS American Red Cross they would participate in ‘A Tale of Two proven commitment to incorporating American Society of Home Inspectors Citigroup Houses,’ a new FLASH program that would tell the advanced construction methodologies into FEMA story of two homes hit by Charley, one with “code- residential home building. Dozens of partner Firewise Institute for Business and Home Safety plus” building standards, the other without. companies volunteered products and services to National Roofing Contractors Association Just across the street, Leslie found the second help finish the project. National Storm Shelter Association National Weather Service house for ‘A Tale of Two Houses’ in the home of Now complete, Teresa and Jim’s new home Nationwide NeighborWorks Insurance Alliance Chris and Jeri Webb. A new house built with serves as a model for what can be done to better St. Paul Travelers standards above the current building code, the safeguard homes and families from disasters such State Farm Insurance Companies Foundation Webb’s home had survived Charley with only minor as hurricanes. Among the storm-resistant technolo- The Home Depot, Inc. damage. With both houses for the project chosen, gies the home incorporates: a superior roof system The Salvation Army USAA FLASH worked with partner State Farm Insurance, with enhanced metal connectors, cast-in-place

REGIONAL PARTNERS in particular Jamie France and expert editor and concrete walls, an elevated foundation, impact- Apalachee Regional Planning Council videographer David Burke, to film and produce a resistant windows and garage door, outward- Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association Southwestern Insurance Information Service short film for ‘A Tale of Two Houses.’ opening entry doors to impede pressure, a built-in Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council For Jim and Teresa, having their destroyed generator, and a whole-house surge protection STATE PARTNERS home be the focus of this film was bittersweet – no system. Alabama Department of Insurance Arkansas Department of Insurance one wants to be the example of what went wrong. The new season of the nationally syndicated Building Officials Association of Florida Fortunately for them the story wasn’t over yet. It television program Bob Vila began airing in Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Disaster Contractors Network was about to become their dream come true. September. For more information about where and First Floridian Florida Department of Community Affairs At the same time FLASH and State Farm were when the show airs, visit www.bobvila.com. To see Florida Department of Environmental Protection producing the ‘A Tale of Two Houses’ film, Bob Vila, the ‘A Tale of Two Houses’ film and a slideshow, visit Florida Department of Financial Services Florida Division of Forestry home improvement expert and star of his own www.Flash.org. Florida Emergency Preparedness Association Florida Fire Chiefs Association television series, was in touch with the Federal Florida Highway Patrol Emergency Management Agency. Bob wanted to do Florida Insurance Council Florida Select something that would not only help someone who FIND OUT WHEN BOB VILA AIRS Georgia Department of Insurance had lost their home to Hurricane Charley, but Georgia Emergency Management Agency Independent Insurance Agents of Texas educate a large audience about the AT www.bobvila.com Insurance Council of Texas Kentucky Division of Emergency Management things they could do to protect their Kentucky Office of Insurance homes from disaster. Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee New Jersey Office of Emergency Management FEMA’s Todd Davison, a FLASH State Insurance Department steering committee member, told North Carolina Department of Insurance Poe Financial Group Bob about FLASH’s ‘A Tale of Texas Department of Insurance Texas Department of Public Safety Two Houses’ program. Virginia Bureau of Insurance Through FLASH Bob Virginia Department of Emergency Management Volunteer Florida Vila had found the West Virginia Insurance Commission family he would COMMUNITY PARTNERS help to rebuild their Brevard Prepares City of Anderson, Indiana home – Jim Minardi City of Deerfield Beach, Florida and Teresa Fogolini. Duval Prepares Hernando County Emergency Management Jim and Teresa Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas couldn’t believe their luck. -Dade Emergency Management Not only were they going to Tulsa Partners Volusia Prepares get a new, disaster-resistant

LEADERSHIP PARTNERS Walter A. Bell, Alabama Insurance Commissioner From Left: Jim Minardi, Bob Vila, and Teresa Fogolini Jeb Bush, Florida Governor Jane L. Cline, West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Ernie Fletcher, Kentucky Governor NON PROFIT ORG. Tom Gallagher, Florida Chief Financial Officer U.S. POSTAGE Alfred W. Gross, Virginia Insurance Commissioner Glen Jennings, Executive Director, Kentucky Office PAID TALLAHASSEE, FL of Insurance 1427 East Piedmont Drive, Suite 2 Jim Long, North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Tallahassee, FL 32308 PERMIT NO. 283 John W. Oxendine, Georgia Insurance & Fire Safety Commissioner www.flash.org Rick Perry, Texas Governor Toll-Free (877) 221-SAFE Mike Pickens, Arkansas Insurance Commissioner

RESOURCE PARTNERS DuPont FamilySafe PGT Industries Simpson Strong-Tie Smart VENT, Inc. Ventilated Awnings Wayne-Dalton