Oregon has free resources available for people who have been affected by this year’s wildfires. (Dzmitry/Adobe Stock)
November 4, 2020
PORTLAND, Ore. — An online conference on Friday is designed to prepare Oregonians for financial resilience in the face of disasters.
AARP and the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services are co-hosting the webinar on Friday to provide tips and tools to help people get back on their feet after this year’s wildfires, as well as to prepare for any future catastrophes.
DCBS director Andrew Stolfi said folks should be on the lookout for fraud after calamities such as the fires.
“There’s, unfortunately, people who are trying to prey on the vulnerable,” he said, “and it’s important for people to be aware of potential frauds, whether it’s by a contractor or someone trying to sell some services or some help to people in a time of need.”
Stolfi said the state has free resources available for anyone affected by the wildfires, and added that it’s also important for people to plan for the possibility of future emergencies.
“It’s important to do that – from making a home inventory to working with your insurance agent and company every year, when your policy renews, to make sure that you have the right coverages in place,” he said, “and we have resources on our website for people to check about how to do each of those steps.”
The webinar is to begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Other speakers for the event include Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon Bankers Association president and chief executive Linda Navarro, and AARP Oregon state director Ruby Haughton-Pitts. Folks can sign up on AARP Oregon’s website for the hour-long webinar.
