Community Initiatives Year in Review
Community Initiatives
December 26, 2017
Initiatives for Communities: Weathering the Storm in 2017
Code enforcement officers working for either local jurisdictions or large counties across the nation have witnessed numerous unprecedented and challenging natural disasters in 2017. The conditions and impacts created by hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, landslides, earthquakes, and wildfires have left a wake of devastation to countless neighborhoods and properties. Despite such negative circumstances, code enforcement officers skillfully rose to the occasion to confront and successfully respond to catastrophes.
Municipal and county code professionals did not face these disasters alone. Safeguard was working alongside them in these locations, as well. We have learned that partnership proved to be more critical than ever. For example, by working together and receiving affected property addresses or impacted street condition information following a disaster from code enforcement officers, properties were then positioned to be preserved and repaired more quickly. This exchange of public information efficiently restored communities and lessened the burden to our code partners.
To support Safeguard’s mission to promote and demonstrate our alliance with and ongoing support of code enforcement jurisdictions throughout the country, the community initiatives department shared presentations with the members of local, regional and state code associations. Multiple classes that incorporated timely information about the foreclosure process and mortgage servicing industry, along with no-cost resources, expanded the perspectives of code officers throughout 2017 at workshops and conferences in Texas, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Missouri, Connecticut, Kansas and Kentucky. Code officers attending the American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE) annual conference from additional states also received fundamental information about the industry and partnership through scholarships and a class. These certified courses enriched the skill sets and improved daily operations for code professionals addressing abandoned properties within their service areas. The material provided by Michael Halpern, director of community initiatives, and Heather Lazar, community relations liaison, was especially valuable in those locations subject to natural disasters.
The upcoming year promises to be one of continued growth. We hope that we have closed the door on natural disasters and the challenges that follow them; however, we all know that fate is unpredictable. Regardless of the type of disaster, we can say with certainty that both jurisdictions and the industry have learned that neighborhoods and properties rebound more quickly when information is shared so that everyone can contribute their expertise to effectively lending a helping hand.
The community initiatives department thanks code enforcement officers for their collaboration and friendship in 2017. We hope that you stay in touch. Remember that Safeguard is your community partner and that keeping the lines of communication open will certainly lead to a productive and successful 2018! If you would like to schedule a class, please do not hesitate to let us know at community.initiatvies@s.safeguardproperties.com.
