Angie Dodge spent five years with the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) for the Paradise Police Department and served as second-in-command of disaster services.
The lessons she learned helped her and her husband, Jeff, survive the 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, Calif.
She says communities and individuals can’t be overprepared when disaster strikes. Here are her recommendations.
Individual planning
- Make sure your homeowners insurance is up to date. By happenstance, Jeff and Angie had updated theirs months before the fire.
- Purchase renters insurance. Her son who lived at Paradise was a renter and didn’t have insurance.
- Video tape everything. It will help when filling out insurance claims.
“You’re like brain dead? And the insurance wants you to do all this stuff, and you can’t think of your own name.”
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.