Follow-up from Oil Spill Town Hall Meeting Held May 4 in Fort Walton Beach
Dear Neighbor,
Thank you for your attendance at the town hall meeting held on Tuesday at the Okaloosa School Board building in Fort Walton Beach. I am very grateful to our State House of Representatives members from this area who were able to join the meeting - Representative Marti Coley, Representative Brad Drake and Representative Matt Gaetz.
Senate President Jeff Atwater joined our meeting by telephone and has offered the full assistance of his office. Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos is staying in close touch with the situation and has been of significant help, as well.
Secretary Sole and representatives from British Petroleum answered nearly a hundred questions from city and county officials and citizens. There were several questions which went unanswered Tuesday night, but which our state legislative delegation offered to follow-up and report answers.
"Booms":
Where in coastal Northwest Florida will booms be installed?
As Secretary Sole explained, "booms" are of very limited value in the open sea, especially given wave action. States further west have tried booming off beaches in the Gulf with little if any success. Booms can be effective in diverting sheen in calmer waters.
Attached please find British Petroleum's "boom plan" for coastal Northwest Florida. Counties and cities are supplementing this plan on almost an hourly basis. For the most timely information on local booming plans, in addition to the BP plan, please contact your local EOC.
Tourism:
1) Will any information be supplied by the Governor's office notifying visitors of the current situation as it relates to Northwest Florida? Also, will an ad campaign be provided and distributed to make citizens, visitors and prospective visitors aware that Northwest Florida is not being affected at this time moment?
a. Representative Coley has taken the lead on this issue and is advocating for immediate and strong action by the Governor and VISIT FLORIDA. The Governor's office tells us they are working with the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, VISIT FLORIDA, Florida Restaurant and Hotel Association and others to get the message out that Florida is open for business and that, at this time, Northwest Florida beaches are clean, fishing is good, and our resorts and restaurants are open.
b. VISIT FLORIDA tells us they have put in place what they call "a communication platform" to provide travel agencies, consumers, the media, the hospitality industry and the general public with information from the most credible sources - official information from the State of Florida and information direct from local destinations. At present, these status updates communicate that our destinations are clear and open for business. The same platform will also provide the most current local information should the situation worsen.
c. VISIT FLORIDA is hosting a Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Update page onhttp://VISITFLORIDA.com which provides consumers with real-time information on the status of all Florida destinations. They have also added new map-based navigation to facilitate consumer interaction with the most up-to-date information coming from convention and visitor bureaus. We encourage you to visit the VISIT FLORIDA Travel Update page and select a city or region to understand how this feature will work.
d. In addition to putting in place consumer communication platforms to handle a potential crisis, VISIT FLORIDA says it is working closely with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on their messaging to visitors and providing updates on the situation to the travel industry nationwide. You can see for yourself what VISIT FLORIDA is communicating to the travel industry atwww.SunshineMatters.org. We encourage you to sign up for the RSS feed or e-mail alerts from the blog.VISIT FLORIDA is also providing the media and travel industry with the most current information on both the industry Twitter Account, www.twitter.com/FloridaTourism, and a Corporate Facebook page, www.facebook.com/FloridaTourism.
2) Are area Tourist Development Councils, Travel Agents and Chambers of Commerce being notified and updated by the Governor's office?
All interested parties in the industry are being briefed on the situation through the State EOC by ESF 18 and its members including the Florida Retail Federation, Florida Association of Counties, Florida League of Cities, Florida Hotel and Restaurant Association, OTTED and Visit Florida.
Claims:
1) Are claims offices going to be established for individuals to come in a file a claim? Where will those locations be set up?
Yes. BP is in the process of establishing claim offices. Currently, one claims office is being set-up within the Pensacola area. Our state legislative delegation has insisted that BP establish more claims offices quickly, get adjusters and claims agents on the ground, and be prepared to process loss claims immediately.
2) Will there be more information on BP's website to assist with filing a claim? Will an online claims form be provided on the company's website?
BP officials are working towards providing more information on their website regarding the claims process including establishing an online claims form. However, if you are seeking to file a claim, officials ask that you contact their hotline at 1-800-440-0850.
3) It is difficult to get through via phone. Is BP going to set up more phone lines in order to allow more people to call into for filing claims?
Officials are currently seeking to add more phone lines to provide better service to those individuals seeking to file a claim.
4) What is the detailed process to file a claim?
All claimants need to contact BP's hotline (1-800-440-0850) that is manned by the catastrophic loss division of ESIS specializing in oil spill claims.
5) Once filed, will payment from claims filed be provided continuously once the application is submitted? How long will the claims process take to acquire payment?
a. BP says payments will be made to address immediate issues associated with property damage or loss of income due to the oil spill.
b. BP believes that it is appropriate to provide interim payments to claimants who are not receiving ordinary income or project while the cleanup is underway.
c. Within 48 hours of receiving supporting documentation (e.g. tax return) the claim will be evaluated and the claimant will be notified of an advance payment for the claim.
d. The equivalent of 1 month's income will be paid and these payments will continue until they are able to return to work or their overall claim is resolved.
e. BI claims can be handled via phone or in person. Bills will be paid or reimbursed.
Thank you for your attendance at the town hall meeting held on Tuesday at the Okaloosa School Board building in Fort Walton Beach. I am very grateful to our State House of Representatives members from this area who were able to join the meeting - Representative Marti Coley, Representative Brad Drake and Representative Matt Gaetz.
Senate President Jeff Atwater joined our meeting by telephone and has offered the full assistance of his office. Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos is staying in close touch with the situation and has been of significant help, as well.
Secretary Sole and representatives from British Petroleum answered nearly a hundred questions from city and county officials and citizens. There were several questions which went unanswered Tuesday night, but which our state legislative delegation offered to follow-up and report answers.
"Booms":
Where in coastal Northwest Florida will booms be installed?
As Secretary Sole explained, "booms" are of very limited value in the open sea, especially given wave action. States further west have tried booming off beaches in the Gulf with little if any success. Booms can be effective in diverting sheen in calmer waters.
Attached please find British Petroleum's "boom plan" for coastal Northwest Florida. Counties and cities are supplementing this plan on almost an hourly basis. For the most timely information on local booming plans, in addition to the BP plan, please contact your local EOC.
Tourism:
1) Will any information be supplied by the Governor's office notifying visitors of the current situation as it relates to Northwest Florida? Also, will an ad campaign be provided and distributed to make citizens, visitors and prospective visitors aware that Northwest Florida is not being affected at this time moment?
a. Representative Coley has taken the lead on this issue and is advocating for immediate and strong action by the Governor and VISIT FLORIDA. The Governor's office tells us they are working with the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, VISIT FLORIDA, Florida Restaurant and Hotel Association and others to get the message out that Florida is open for business and that, at this time, Northwest Florida beaches are clean, fishing is good, and our resorts and restaurants are open.
b. VISIT FLORIDA tells us they have put in place what they call "a communication platform" to provide travel agencies, consumers, the media, the hospitality industry and the general public with information from the most credible sources - official information from the State of Florida and information direct from local destinations. At present, these status updates communicate that our destinations are clear and open for business. The same platform will also provide the most current local information should the situation worsen.
c. VISIT FLORIDA is hosting a Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Update page onhttp://VISITFLORIDA.com which provides consumers with real-time information on the status of all Florida destinations. They have also added new map-based navigation to facilitate consumer interaction with the most up-to-date information coming from convention and visitor bureaus. We encourage you to visit the VISIT FLORIDA Travel Update page and select a city or region to understand how this feature will work.
d. In addition to putting in place consumer communication platforms to handle a potential crisis, VISIT FLORIDA says it is working closely with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on their messaging to visitors and providing updates on the situation to the travel industry nationwide. You can see for yourself what VISIT FLORIDA is communicating to the travel industry atwww.SunshineMatters.org. We encourage you to sign up for the RSS feed or e-mail alerts from the blog.VISIT FLORIDA is also providing the media and travel industry with the most current information on both the industry Twitter Account, www.twitter.com/FloridaTourism, and a Corporate Facebook page, www.facebook.com/FloridaTourism.
2) Are area Tourist Development Councils, Travel Agents and Chambers of Commerce being notified and updated by the Governor's office?
All interested parties in the industry are being briefed on the situation through the State EOC by ESF 18 and its members including the Florida Retail Federation, Florida Association of Counties, Florida League of Cities, Florida Hotel and Restaurant Association, OTTED and Visit Florida.
Claims:
1) Are claims offices going to be established for individuals to come in a file a claim? Where will those locations be set up?
Yes. BP is in the process of establishing claim offices. Currently, one claims office is being set-up within the Pensacola area. Our state legislative delegation has insisted that BP establish more claims offices quickly, get adjusters and claims agents on the ground, and be prepared to process loss claims immediately.
2) Will there be more information on BP's website to assist with filing a claim? Will an online claims form be provided on the company's website?
BP officials are working towards providing more information on their website regarding the claims process including establishing an online claims form. However, if you are seeking to file a claim, officials ask that you contact their hotline at 1-800-440-0850.
3) It is difficult to get through via phone. Is BP going to set up more phone lines in order to allow more people to call into for filing claims?
Officials are currently seeking to add more phone lines to provide better service to those individuals seeking to file a claim.
4) What is the detailed process to file a claim?
All claimants need to contact BP's hotline (1-800-440-0850) that is manned by the catastrophic loss division of ESIS specializing in oil spill claims.
5) Once filed, will payment from claims filed be provided continuously once the application is submitted? How long will the claims process take to acquire payment?
a. BP says payments will be made to address immediate issues associated with property damage or loss of income due to the oil spill.
b. BP believes that it is appropriate to provide interim payments to claimants who are not receiving ordinary income or project while the cleanup is underway.
c. Within 48 hours of receiving supporting documentation (e.g. tax return) the claim will be evaluated and the claimant will be notified of an advance payment for the claim.
d. The equivalent of 1 month's income will be paid and these payments will continue until they are able to return to work or their overall claim is resolved.
e. BI claims can be handled via phone or in person. Bills will be paid or reimbursed.
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