Press Release
Three-Hour Water Damage Prevention Training
Note to PREVCAN members: The following press release was sent to various associations to promote our new training program for insurance brokers, managers and condominium association administrators. Our members will surely benefit from these professionals having a better understanding of our field. We invite you to promote this program to your existing and prospective clients. PREVCAN members will receive a discount on the training.
In partnership with the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l’habitation du Québec (APCHQ), the Quebec chapter of PREVCAN has prepared a water damage prevention training program aimed at insurance brokers, and condominium associations and managers.
The Water Damage Prevention training program helps participants identify the various potential sources of water damage, as well as understand the importance of preventing incidents by installing water leak detection systems.
“Since 2017, our association has been working with some of Canada’s largest property and casualty insurers to establish, among other things, an accreditation process for manufacturers and installers of water damage prevention systems,” said PREVCAN President Gilles Fréchette. “Our goal is to provide the public with products and services that reflect our quality expectations and those of property and casualty insurers.”
“Water damage losses are on the rise,” said Robert Demers, head of the organization’s training committee. A condominium that files a claim due to water damage may see a drastic increase in its deductible, or even lose its insurance coverage. This results in a huge loss of value for the property. Major insurance companies showed enthusiasm when PREVCAN approached them with an intention to disseminate best practices for members to follow. But as time went by, we realized that condominium association administrators, professional property managers and insurance brokers needed more information to understand the solutions available.”
We needed to find a neutral way to convey the message. This led to the idea of providing training from a credible third party. “One thing is clear,” said Robert Demers. “This training provides a better understanding of the risks associated with water damage, and of the preventive value of installing such systems.”
“Brokers have a particular interest in taking this training program,” said Caroline Lepage,
Co-President of Quebec City brokerage firm Bernier & Filles. “A well-protected client is one who is less likely to suffer damages. This is useful not only for the client, but for the broker, who ends up with a better loss ratio.”
“Part of our mandate is to identify areas of innovation in the industry, and so the topic brought forth by PREVCAN seemed highly appropriate,” said Richard Tremblay, Director of the APCHQ’s training department. “Our training consultant and technical writer teamed up with a group of experts from PREVCAN to establish the training’s objectives, content and required materials. Ultimately, participants will not only understand the mechanics of the various solutions in place, but will be able to help make informed decisions. The training will only make them better equipped as consultants.”
The three-hour training program, partly funded by the Quebec government, is offered in English and French, online or offline, for great scheduling flexibility. A certificate of achievement is issued to contractors with training requirements, as well as to brokers, who obtain three hours of training and three Continuing Education Units (CEUs), respectively.