RockRose Risk's Andrew Engler Plans to Fix Wildfire Insurance
The Fire Break | Innovations in WildfireShow Notes
Former "evil insurance executive" turned founder Andrew Engler explains how his new venture, RockRose Risk, is using an $80 billion problem to create a massive opportunity for homeowners and businesses. He breaks down why the traditional insurance market is failing, how 1000% premium increases are actually a signal for systemic change, and how RockRose is providing massive discounts to those willing to harden their properties and manage local fuels. In this episode, you'll learn about: The 35% Discount: How RockRose works with 16+ global carriers to give money back to clients who perform verified mitigation.
The Insurance Rabbit Hole: A look into the complex world of reinsurance, retrocessionaires, and why local rates are often dictated by global models.
Infrastructure vs. Climate: Why Andrew believes wildfire is primarily a failure of infrastructure management, not just a weather problem.
The "Tylenol Murder" Fallacy: A critical look at "security theater" in disaster prevention versus addressing core vulnerabilities.
Pro-Entropic Business: Why the next generation of successful companies will be those that become more valuable as environmental volatility increases.
The Fire Quadrangle: Steve and Andrew discuss the physics of suppression—from removing fuel to breaking the chemical reaction.
Privatizing Results: A controversial look at shifting from a "time and materials" firefighting model to a "performance-based" model like SpaceX or FedEx.
More from The Fire Break | Innovations in Wildfire
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Emergency management expert Jennifer Sanderson joins the show to discuss the vital shift from government reliance to individual and community empowerment. With a career spanning the military, FBI, and FEMA, Jennifer explains the "Equity Gap" in disaster response and shares lessons learned from the tarmac of New Orleans to the administrative centers of national COVID-19 relief. Discover why wildfires are the most unpredictable of natural disasters and why your physical safety must always supersede your emotional attachment to "stuff." In this episode, you'll learn about: The Katrina Catalyst: How seeing the devastation of New Orleans firsthand shaped Jennifer’s mission to serve something larger than herself.
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Don Hallett, founder of Wildfire Innovations, explains how his "Rainstream" technology is answering the prayers of fire-threatened communities by creating synthetic rain on demand. Utilizing a mobile, telescopic mast that reaches up to 100 feet in the air, Don’t system can broadcast up to 1,000 gallons of water per minute above the tree canopy. By leveraging the wind—traditionally a fire’s greatest ally—Don is able to pre-wet enormous areas and create a "wall of water" that chokes out advancing flames before they reach the doorstep. In this episode, you'll learn about: The Rainstream System: How a mobile trailer can deploy a 100-foot mast in under two minutes to provide 18 acres of coverage.