THE CLAIMS EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
                To Inform, Reassure and Help

Tornadoes, hailstorms, ice storms, torrential rains, floods-any one of these can have disastrous consequences for thousands of consumers. The GAA and its partner, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), along with the Insurance Information Centre are there to provide invaluable assistance should one of these events occur.

A Concerted Effort

The Claims Emergency Response Plan is a set of coordinated procedures and actions designed to promptly and efficiently assist victims of major disasters. It provides for:

• assessing any emergency situation in Québec, the moment it becomes known;
  
  
• assessing the coverage provided by standard contracts as it relates to the anticipated or known damage;
  
  
• consulting insurers as to the origin of events and amount of insurance coverage, and promoting continuous and accurate information;
  
  
• putting in place the necessary resources to communicate to the public relevant information on how to prevent and limit property damage, or on the claims process;
  
  
• co-ordinating insurers' efforts with those of other parties (ministries, municipalities, police forces, the Québec Public Security Department and others).

A Front Line Service

A key component in the Emergency Response Plan, the Insurance Information Centre becomes a front line service when a catastrophe or a major disaster strikes either a region of Québec or the entire province.

Information agents inform the victims, reassure them and give them prevention tips and advice to help them recuperate from the event as quickly as possible.

Information Centre agents play a crucial role in these support services. For instance, in 1998, Information agents handled no less than 11,000 calls regarding the ice storm and promptly addressed the victims' concerns.