Safer Home in Illinois
In 2006, Illinois experienced an unusually large number of high wind and tornado events. Springfield, the state capital, was hit twice in March. The two tornadoes followed on virtually the same destructive track, two weeks apart. Homeowners and businesses incurred significant damage. Many of the hotels in the area were also damaged.
Most of the damage was due to roofs separating from the walls and floors of structures. As a result, there now is a great emphasis on wind damage mitigation education throughout the state. Many government agencies, plus the Red Cross, have formed a program called Safe Home Illinois, which offers a variety of seminars and conferences throughout Illinois on wind damage mitigation. The main goal is to educate everyone on safer construction methods, standards, and materials which should be used to help reduce the damage from high wind events.
Simpson Strong-Tie was the first company to offer field assistance, educational support, and literature for the Safe Home Illinois educational program. Chris Bell, of American Red Cross of Greater Chicago says, "Simpson's support locally with their field representatives – Ryan Schaefer, Territory Manager; Aaron Sims, Dealer Sales Representative; and Shane Vilasineekul, Branch Engineer – has been a great asset to the Safe Home Illinois program. Everyone's dedication, devotion and cooperation really contributed towards the success of this program."
Ryan and Shane presented information at three Safe Home Illinois seminars. They discussed the basics of a continuous load path and the importance of using connectors to create this system. More than 135 engineering and design professionals, administrators, planners, building officials, builders and homeowners attended the seminars. Thousands of people attending the special events at trade shows, conferences, fairs, and home improvement showcases also learned about the importance of a continuous load path, and how it contributes to building a safer, stronger home.
