SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and California Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil will be featured speakers at a community-wide event in May that will help residents understand new wildfire mitigation, insurance, and home inspection laws that went into effect in the new year.

As of January 2023, new laws have officially been implemented for California residents. The Al Tahoe Firewise USA Community and the city of South Lake Tahoe are hosting National Wildfire Preparedness Day from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m Saturday, May 6, at the Recreation and Swim Complex at 1180 Rufus Allen Boulevard to explain the impacts of these new laws and provide information on how to prepare for wildfires and improve the survivability of your home. 

Lara is the keynote speaker for the event and will provide in-depth information about how being safer from wildfires can help your insurance. Lara created a new insurance pricing regulation to recognize and reward wildfire safety and mitigation efforts made by homeowners and businesses. This regulation is the first in the nation requiring insurance companies to provide discounts to consumers under the Safer from Wildfires framework created by the California Department of Insurance in partnership with state emergency preparedness agencies. 

Safer from Wildfires also includes community mitigation through the nationally recognized Firewise USA program. 

“Protecting Californians from deadly wildfires means everyone doing their part, including insurance companies by rewarding consumers for being safer from wildfires,” said Lara when he enforced the regulation. “My Department will work diligently to increase discounts to reward the hard work that California consumers do to protect their families, homes, businesses, and communities.”

Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, special guest speaker, will discuss her efforts and collaboration with Lara while serving on the Insurance Committee. Alvarado-Gil was recently elected in 2022 and represents the 4^th district of California that includes the counties of Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Stanislaus, Madera, Mono, Merced, Nevada and Inyo. 

The city of South Lake Tahoe’s Fire Marshal Kim George and Battalion Chief Karl Koeppen will present information on how to mitigate wildfires and create defensible space. Dianne Rees, Al Tahoe Community Firewise Leader, will provide details on how to form a Firewise USA recognized district and the value it brings to communities. 

All city and county residents and businesses are invited to attend this free and informative event. Sen. Alvarado-Gil will speak for 30 minutes starting at 12:15 p.m. followed by Lara who will speak from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

After a break, George will give a presentation followed by Koeppen from 1:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Rees will give a presentation at 2:15 p.m. where questions may also be asked.

For more information, visit http://www.altahoefirewise.com or http://www.cityofslt.us.