SAN DIEGO REBUILDS! EVENT PROVIDES REAL HELP FOR FIRE VICTIMS
A Free Workshop Connecting Fire Victims with Resources for the Rebuilding Process

Many fire victims from the Cedar Fire in 2003 were unfamiliar and unprepared to deal with the arduous process of rebuilding their homes. Many became easy prey for low, under-valued insurance settlements, absurdly high financing costs, and unscrupulous, untrustworthy contractors. It is well documented that many were “revictimized” at the hands of these crooks; making the process of rebuilding their homes and their lives a complete misery. Others were stalled in the bureaucracy of the city’s building departments, costing them precious money from their insurance settlements. Much of this aggravation could have been reduced or even prevented through guidance and education.

Survivors of the 2007 fires in San Diego County can expect a different outcome thanks to a broad-based volunteer coalition made up of local businesses, government officials and media. The group has produced a FREE, one-day workshop called San Diego Rebuilds!, which will take place on Friday, November 16, 2007 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the California Center for the Arts Escondido. This is an event where fire survivors can get realistic and accurate information about the rebuilding process from a variety of trusted resources.

San Diego Rebuilds! will connect fire survivors with experts from local building departments, the California Contractors State License Board, Better Business Bureau, attorneys, insurance, tax and lending professionals, architects, estimators, construction contractors (that have been verified to be licensed, bonded, insured, and have workers’ compensation), and a variety of material suppliers.

The agenda for the event features four wide-open, lively interactive panel discussions.
 Panel 1: Don’t Get Ripped Off! will focus on: Scams by Unscrupulous Contactors, Identifying a Genuine Contractor; Discounts & Incentives: Real or a Bad Deal; and Deposits, Delays, and Excuses that will cost YOU money. Moving, Water Testing, Debris Clearing Scam . . . And more!
 Panel 2: The Rebuilding Process: What to Expect will focus on: The mystery of the City Building Departments and Building Permits;; What should you do first?; Insurance Rights and Wrongs; Financial & Tax Issues; Government Assistance Opportunities . . . and more!
 Panel 3: Legal and Financial Stuff: What fire survivors need to know about Insurance, legal issues, liens, financial and tax information, government resources, mortgage info, property assessments, utilities from a panel of experts…and more! Don’t make a decision until you talk to an expert!
 Panel 4: The Cedar Fire Survivors SPEAK OUT! This powerful panel is made up of survivors and experts that made it through the devastating 2003 Cedar Fires that speak out about their experience. If you are a 2007 Firestorm survivor, you don’t want to miss this very special informative panel.
Plus a variety of exhibits, displays and SPECIAL DISCOUNTS will be available to fire survivors!

Additional Information

Partial list of Participants as of 11/05/2007 include:
Expected or invited appearances by: Congressmen Brian Bilbray, Darrell Issa and Duncan Hunter; Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; State Legislative Members Mark Wyland, George Plescia, Lori Saldana, Joel Anderson, Martin Garrick and Dennis Hollingsworth; County Supervisors Pam Slater-Price and Bill Horn; San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis; and Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler.

Public Agencies Invited: San Diego County Water Authority, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, City of San Diego, City of Escondido, County of San Diego, CalTrans, and SANDAG.

San Diego Construction Associations and other organizations participating: National Electrical Contractors Association, Associated General Contractors, Construction Specifications Institute, Associated Builders and Contractors, Engineering and General Contractors Association, California Landscape Contractors Association, National Association of Women In Construction, California Professional and Specialty Contractors Association, National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association, Masonry Contractors Association, SD Roofing Contractors Association, American Contractors Association, San Diego Contracting Opportunities Center and Better Business Bureau.

Onsite Broadcasts: The Roger Hedgecock Show is providing frequent updates about the event up to the event date and will be broadcast LIVE from San Diego Rebuilds! on the day of the event.

Date of the Event: Friday, November 16, 2007 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (May be extended)

Site of the event: California Center for the Arts Escondido Conference Center at 340 North Escondido Boulevard, Escondido, CA 92025.

This is a community event and has received an overwhelming response from government agencies, the business community and public officials. If you would like to participate in this event, please visit the San Diego Rebuilds website at www.SanDiegoRebuilds.com. For those who wish to exhibit, please send contact information and association affiliation(s) immediately to info@sandiegorebuilds.com. Space is limited, and since the event is free to attend and free for exhibitors, a lottery system may be utilized to select exhibitors. If companies are a part of an association, we recommend sharing space with your trade association.

The San Diego Rebuilds website is www.SanDiegoRebuilds.com. It will be frequently updated with event itinerary, sponsors, workshops, and exhibitors as the information becomes available.