The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), which activates its Community Assistance Mobile Pavilion (CAMP) program in response to disasters, is offering insights into the program’s workings, highlighting the recent Jasper wildfire as an example.
For IBC underwriting coordinator Marc Lefebvre (pictured), the most crucial thing to bring when deployed as part of CAMP is empathy.
“When we head to a disaster site, it’s not just about insurance – people have lost everything, and they often don’t know where to begin,” he said. “We’re there to listen and help them take those first steps when everything feels overwhelming.”
Lefebvre was part of the IBC team deployed to Jasper, Alberta, in the aftermath of the wildfire that caused more than $880 million in insured losses.
The CAMP program is mobilized after major events to offer immediate assistance to affected individuals and businesses, helping them initiate the insurance claims process.
In Jasper, IBC set up its CAMP alongside representatives from various insurers under tents managed by the Canadian Red Cross. During their eight-day stay, the team connected with over 2,000 residents – providing general insurance guidance, connecting policyholders with their insurers, and answering questions like how to document damage and what to expect from the claims process.
Anne Marie Thomas, IBC’s director of consumer and industry relations, shared: “When you’re standing in front of someone who has lost their home, their car, or their business, they’re in shock. Sometimes they just need someone to listen to them before they can start asking the right questions.”
Meanwhile, Lefebvre explained the importance of managing expectations: “The claims process takes time. Labour and materials are often in short supply after a disaster. We don’t sugarcoat it, but we make sure they know their insurer is with them every step of the way.”
All CAMP deployments are overseen by Rob de Pruis, IBC’s national director for consumer and industry relations.
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