Storm & Security

PEOPLE IN THE KNOW 2014 / STORM & SECURITY PROTECTION 13 all fasteners and component parts are the same, looks notwith- standing. We can also help to educate the public that window film is a great product, but not effective as hurricane protection on residential and most commercial applications. In addition, through the IHPA, we can help educate the writers of the Florida Building Code as well as the Residential Building Code that the use of plywood as dictated by the code does not work and cannot be duplicated in a test lab." The IHPA, as a not-for-profit association, also has the ability to provide input to ensure that government agencies take into account what is obtainable by industry. "There were many instances in the old days where the IHPA worked with various building departments in establishing rules and regulations to protect the public without adding unnecessary costs in the process," Mann says. "A good example is, today you do not need site-specific engineering for all hurricane protection jobs. We were able to convince a large building department that there were not enough engineers available to do the work and the extra cost of doing so would be passed on to the homeowner with no added protection to the homeowner." Still Battles to Win Mann is proud of the work the IHPA has accomplished. The most significant, he says, was forging a relationship with the Florida attorney general's office and helping its members understand the dangerous practice by some companies in advertising non-approved or not fully test- ed products as being hurricane protection, which offers a false sense of safety to the public. "Towards that end, we were also able to change the building code, which gave the AG's office a vehicle for curtailing fraudulent advertising. Related to cleaning up our industry, the IHPA launched the Get The Number campaign, which was designed to educate the public to the importance of purchasing hurricane protection that has a product approval number," Mann says. Federal and state governments have become much more proactive when it comes to mitigation, Mann believes. "I have seen statistics showing that for every $1 spent on mitigation, $4 of damage is saved. This is why Florida had the My Safe Home program and the recent enactment of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) laws allowing property owners to harden their properties by adding the cost as a tax assessment that could stay with the home and could be transferable depending on the situation." (See page 11 for more on IHPA and PACE.) Even with these accomplishments, Mann knows going forward there still are battles to win. "My concern is hurricane amnesia has set in to the public mindset as there has not been a direct hit to Florida since Hurricane Wilma," explains Mann. "Hurricane mitigation programs are only as good as the value placed on mitigation by the public. This is a dangerous phenomenon because as they wait it is not a question of if a hurricane is going to hit, but when," he warns. The biggest hurdle Mann sees facing the storm protection industry today is the consistent enforcement of product and marketing standards. "We do not need any additional rules or regulations," he states. "Too many people use product approvals as a suggestion and not a mandate. Any deviations from a product approval are frightening and can be very dangerous. The same can be said for advertisements that feature products as hurricane or storm protection that have never been issued a product approval number." Seeing Both Sides Greg and Gaby Mann's involvement in the hurricane protection industry dates back to its earliest stages. Ironically, however, neither experienced Hurricane Andrew. "We both have more experience with blizzards as I grew up in New York and Gaby in Illinois," Greg says. Yet, even that fact informs their efforts to promote protection. They know a bit of what it's like be misinformed, poorly informed or uninformed. "I remember my parents putting tape on our windows to protect us. I remember standing in front of the windows watching the storms,' Mann says. "Thankfully, the storms were not major wind events and nothing bad happened. People who have never experienced a storm need to make sure that their houses are hardened or find a safe place to hunker down. Most importantly, people need to pay attention to public announcements and act accordingly. Hurricane tracking has become much more accurate. If you are told you evacuate, evacuate. Do not put someone's life in jeopardy by trying to save you." Mark Haworth Photography

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