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Disaster Response in a
Socially Connected World

The way people communicate after a disaster has changed significantly since the last time Florida was last hit by a major hurricane in 2005.

People line up to use a charging station for mobile phones and devices after hurricane Sandy. Photo Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET

Photo Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET

 

More than 1 billion people worldwide use their smartphones to produce and share more information than ever before, and Floridians are spending more time interacting on social media networks than any other online activity.

In a disaster, these changes present major challenges for responders that were brought to the forefront after the Missouri tornados in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

This infographic shows the social media impact caused by Hurricane Sandy

 

Security First Insurance Company, among the largest private homeowners insurance provider in Florida, has long recognized the importance of developing a solution that allows Floridians to remain connected after a disaster:

  • In 2009, we developed Security First Mobile, a free mobile app available to all Floridians. Among other features, the app enables our customers to report a claim, upload photos of the damage, and check the status of a claim. The adjuster's contact information is immediately available keeping our customers connected throughout the recovery process.

  • In 2011, we partnered with Enservio to develop My Choice Home Protection, an online system designed to help Floridians become better prepared for hurricanes and other natural disasters and recovery from losses more quickly and easily. My Choice Home Protection makes it easy to create a home inventory list that can be customized to reflect the contents in the home. A home inventory is extremely valuable in assessing the damage to a home and helps to improve the overall claim process.

  • On average, we receive about 700 claims per month. After a disaster, that number could increase to more than 30,000 over a three-day period, and we anticipate that many of those policyholders will reach out to us using social media and email. In 2012, we partnered with Integritie to develop Social Media Capture, Control, Communication, and Compliance (SMC4) — the world’s first social media and email solution that improves disaster response communications and streamlines the claims process. More than funneling incoming messages from social media and email accounts to a single interface, SMC4 automatically prioritizes and routes requests to the right employee to speed up the recovery process for our customers.

SMC4 is the product of looking ahead and thinking differently. Although Florida has not been hit by a major hurricane in eight years, we haven't ignored Florida's vulnerability to hurricanes. We've spent several years monitoring disasters in other states to ensure we identify challenges and develop technology to provide our customers with responsive, quality service.

 
 
 

Media Contact

Marissa Buckley

Marissa Buckley

Vice President of
Marketing

(386) 523 – 2302
Email Marissa

Social

Apps

Available on the App Store Android App on Google Play

Media Contact

Marissa Buckley

Marissa Buckley

Vice President of
Marketing

(386) 523 – 2302
Email Marissa

Social

 

Apps

Available on the App Store Android App on Google Play