Oklahoma Cat Response Team Includes State Officials, Industry Members

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak formed of a catastrophe response task force to coordinate efforts of the department and the industry in the aftermath of the recent winter storm.

“This is the first time the department has joined with the industry to coordinate efforts in the aftermath of a catastrophe such as this,” Doak said in an announcement released by the Oklahoma Insurance Department. “Undoubtedly, both consumers and insurers will face challenges in the days ahead and we want to eliminate or reduce as many barriers to a prompt recovery that we can.”

Paul Wilkening, deputy commissioner of Administration, will represent the Insurance Department on the task force, said Doak. Wilkening is a master exercise practitioner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a member of the instructor cadre at FEMA’s National Emergency Training Center, Emergency Management Institute. He is the first person at the Insurance Department to hold the certification, Doak noted.

Kim Decker, Oklahoma Government Affairs senior representative with Farmers Insurance Group, and John Wiscaver, Oklahoma Public Affairs director with State Farm Insurance, will co-chair the response task force, Doak said. Wiscaver, was actively involved in coordinating his company’s response to Hurricane Katrina, Doak noted.

Doak said he, Wilkening and his staff will maintain regular contact with Decker and Wiscaver so that potential problems can be identified and addressed before they negatively affect Oklahomans and their insurers.

“Oklahomans who will be working with their insurance providers already will have suffered some sort of loss,” Doak said. “It’s important that their loss not be compounded and that the industry not be hampered as it attempts to help Oklahomans. That is what this task force will be working to prevent.”