A few years ago we sent out a survey to better understand the needs of our membership and how we could better serve you. We learned a lot from that survey and one of things that was clear was that we needed to provide more opportunity for Continuing Education. We listened to you and now we have numerous opportunities at different locations throughout the state. Our PestEd series begins in Long Beach on October 24th, Concord is the location of our next opportunity on November 12th and finally Citrus Heights (Sacramento Area) on January 14th. We are also adding a Termite Academy at the University of California, Berkeley early next year along with Leadership training in late April. Please go to www.pcoc.org/events or call us if you have any questions.  Your participation is important and we look forward to seeing all of you at one of the venues in the coming months. 

Pest Ed Series Long Beach Registration Form

Pest Ed Series Concord Registration Form

Pest Ed Series Citrus Heights Form - JUST RELEASED!!

Chris Reardon
PCOC Executive Vice President
chris@pcoc.org
(916) 372-4363

Structural Pest Control Board Calendar of Events 

"The Structural Pest Control Board is currently in the process of updating its examinations for all licensing types and branches. If you are interested in participating in this process please find below a listing of the upcoming examination development workshop dates. Should you find a particular workshop, or workshops, that you are interested in attending you may either fill out the Workshop Interest Form and email us at pestboard@dca.ca.gov,fax it to us at (916) 263-2469, mail it to us at 2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 1500, Sacramento, CA 95815, or you contact Dave Skelton in the Administration Unit at (916) 561-8700. Once again, thank you very much for your help, we couldn't do this without you!" 

Applicator's License Test - Townhall (Focus Group) Meeting
October 23, 2019 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
SPCB Office, Sacramento
Agenda

FR Branch 3 – Exam Construction Workshop
October 29-30, 2019
SCPB Interest Form

OPR & FR Branch 1 - Exam Construction Workshop
November 5, 6 & 7, 2019
SPCB Interest Form

OPR3 – Exam Construction
December 10-11, 2019
SPCB Interest Form 

For more information, please visit the SPCB website here. 
 

_____________________________________________________________________________________
 

Pest Ed Series
Convenient Locations and Dates

October 24, 2019 - Hyatt Regency Long Beach
Long Beach Registration Form

November 12, 2019 - Crowne Plaza Concord Walnut Creek
Concord Registration Form

January 14, 2020 - Citrus Heights Community Center
Citrus Heights Registration Form - JUST RELEASED!!
 

Exhibitor Registration Form for ALL locations - Spots are still available!

_____________________________________________________________________________________
 

West Coast Rodent Academy (WCRA)
November 6-8, 2019
Irvine, CA

Don't miss your opportunity to join us for Rodent Academy! You will learn the best practices for rodent exclusions and treatments for successful outcomes. Limited to 45 people. SPOTS ARE RUNNING OUT!

Click here for WCRA Registration Form

_____________________________________________________________________________________
 

 
December Board of Directors Meeting
December 12-14, 2019
Hilton Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California

Thursday, December 12: Golf Tournament (Information to follow)

Friday, December 13: Committee Meetings, 1 pm to 5 pm

Saturday, December 14: Board of Directors Meeting, 8 am to 11 am
Hotel information to follow

CARES is asking for donations from the districts for our Beer Fest Wagon! Check out their flyer HERE.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
 

Looking Forward...
 

PCOC's **NEW** Termite Academy - Late February 2020
University of Berkeley

PCOC's Legislative Day and 3rd Quarter Board of Directors Meeting
Hyatt Regency Sacramento Hotel - Sacramento, CA
April 13-15, 2020

PCOC's Leadership Academy
Costa Mesa Marriott Hotel - Costa Mesa, CA
April 27-28, 2020

PCOC's Expo
Monterey Marriott Hotel & Convention Center - Monterey, CA
June 23-26, 2020

PCOC's 1st Quarter Board of Directors Meeting
Allegretto Vineyard Resort - Pasa Robles, CA
September 17-19, 2020

In 2017, Douglas Products and the fumigation industry in California started a grassroots campaign to voice our concerns with proposed Department of Pesticide Regulation mitigations to the way structural fumigation is done in our state.  With the recent changes in personnel within DPR in 2019, it is time to communicate our message again.  Some of the proposed mitigation and changes suggested have the potential to significantly reduce the number of residential and commercial fumigations being done. 

We need you to take action immediately.  Please click here and fill out all of the required information. When you click on “submit” the letter will be sent to your state assemblyperson, state senator, and Val Dolcini, Interim Director of DPR.

This will demonstrate to DPR the negative impact this will have on your businesses. Your action can educate them from making these changes that will discourage property owners from having apartments and homes fumigated, slow down real estate transactions, and add one to two more days to the fumigation process.  Please pass this message and link on to your co-workers, their families, association affiliates, industry members, and anyone who you feel could be impacted by these unnecessary changes. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________
 

The Applicator’s Exam has been a topic of discussion recently. The Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) has taken our comments seriously and asked the Office of Professional Examination Services (OPES) to take another look at it. OPES is an entity within the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) that manages and administers all of the exam for licensing for all of the boards and borrows within the DCA. How OPES determines what is on the test is from the Occupational Analysis (OA) for that license type. The OA is created by interviewing people with that license to see what they do on a daily basis, what they are expected to know, etc. OPES is in the process of updating the OA for the Applicator’s license. This allows them to update the exam as well. While the exam pass rate has increased over the past few months, the test is not accurately representing the daily operations of an Applicator.  On October 23, OPES and SPCB will be holding an open house to discuss this process and these job functions to start this updating process.  We would encourage anybody who feels that they are impacted by the exam to attend this and participate.

Click here for the Applicator OA Focus Group Meeting Information

Other workshops that SPCB is hosting:

Click here for the dates, times and locations for OPR, FR, RA - Branch 1, 2 & 3 Workshops

Darren Van Steenwyk
Director of Learning & Technical Services
Clark Pest Control
PCOC Legislative Committee Chair
(209) 224-4629
darrenv@clarkpest.com

Univar Solutions is excited to announce our newest team member, Julie Campbell. Julie is the new sales manager for Northern CA and brings with her, a solid track record of driving sales as well as leadership roles. Julie has many years of field sales as well as management experience with companies like G&K Services, Aramark, and also PVS Chemicals in Northern CA. Julie’s son recently graduated with a major in Secondary History Education and a minor in German Language Education, and will be moving to Nashville, TN. This brings Julie from SLC to CA, to join our team! Julie is very excited to be moving back to the SF Bay Area to be near family and friends. In her free time, Julie volunteers with a few different organizations: The Humane Society, The Burrito Project, and Utah Pride Center.  She is also excited to enjoy the beautiful foothill trails in the bay area and the central coast beaches once again.
 

Julie Campbell
Sales Manager, Northern California - ES
UNivar Solutions
Cell phone: (916) 200-5687
Email: julie.campbell@univarsolutions.com

A new PCOC Minute is here and we are discussing what CARES is and what it does for our members

The Pest Control Operators of California has created the PCOC Minute to provide updates on the pest control industry not only in California but throughout the United States, PCOC related events, and member highlights. The PCOC Minute will be available on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month with special periodic episodes on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month.

Make sure to check out the Pest Control Operators of California YouTube channel for this new PCOC minute and for past and future PCOC Minutes. 

To better understand course of employment rules it’s useful to look at the exceptions.

When someone is injured on the job, the connection — or nexus — between the job and the injury is usually clear and indisputable. But sometimes, it’s not. For instance, say you work at home and you tripped over your dog on your way to pull some fabric samples down from a shelf to take with you to a customer? Just such a claim was at first denied by the workers’ compensation judge, then paid on appeal. 

Exactly what does course of employment mean? We can probably understand the concept better by looking at the exceptions. The following rules relating to course of employment should help clarify things a bit:

1. Idiopathic Injuries
   Idiopathic refers to an injury of unknown origin. These kinds of injuries are not compensable. When someone has a stroke or heart attack while at work, for example. Unless there is some sort of connection to a job function, such an injury would be considered idiopathic.
   
   
2. The Going and Coming Rule
   With some exceptions (which we discussed in a recent newsletter), an injury incurred while driving back and forth to work is not covered. Unless driving is part of the job. 
   
   
3. Dual Purpose and Special Errand Exceptions
   On the other hand, if an employee is on an errand on behalf of the employer while going to or leaving work, this would be an exception of the going and coming rule. 
   
   
4. Premises Exception
   Even if the employee is not yet officially on the clock, if an injury occurs on premises owned or provided by the employer, there would be coverage. 
   
   
5. Proximity or Special Hazard Exception
   This exception would apply if a hazard exists such that, if not for the hazard, an employee would not have been injured. For instance, if employees are required to drive down an unsafe road in order to get to work. This is often a contentious and difficult exception to interpret. 
   
   
6. Off-Duty Injuries
   Injuries that occur when employees are on a break may be compensable. It depends on when, how often such breaks are taken and whether or not permitted. Also, injuries that occur when someone is attending a seminar away from the office or on a business trip may be covered even while on break.
   
   
7. Horseplay
   Injuries occurring as a result of horseplay can be barred from compensation. The facts need to be examined but generally the person initiating the horseplay would be denied benefits.
   
   
8. Injuries by Third Persons
   Accidents or injuries caused by the intentional or negligent actions of third parties are compensable. 
   

For more information about course of employment rules, please contact the Insurance professionals of EPIC at (877) 860-7378 or ProPest@epicbrokers.com to email us.  Also, check out our website by clicking here.

Paul Lindsay
Senior Vice President
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants

Calling ALL PCOC Directors! CARES is requesting each Director to bring a 6-pack or 2- 20 ounce micro brews from your local micro brewery to our upcoming BOD Meeting in Palm Springs. CARES will fill a wagon to be raffled there too!

Buy Raffle Tickets for a chance to win this Beer Fest Wagon! Tickets are $20 each.

Once the wagon is full, secondary winners will receive the overflow beer!

See the flyer HERE!

October

LA/SOUTHBAY DISTRICT - October 17 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Greg Bausch – American City Pest & Termite, Inc.
greg@americancitypest.com • (310) 542-8622
Marie Callendar's, 15466 S. Western Ave, Gardena

DIABLO VALLEY DISTRICT – October 22 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Gordie Zilke – Valley View Termite Control
valleyviewtc@gmail.com • (925) 787-2118
Zio Fraedo's, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill

SAN GABRIEL DISTRICT - October 22 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Gilbert Alvidrez - Downtown Pest Control
downtownpestcontrol@gmail.com • (909) 802-0052
El Sombrero, 3550 Santa Anita Ave, El Monte

BIG VALLEY DISTRICT - October 23 @ 7:00 a.m.
CHAIR: Travis Mickel – Clark Pest Control
tmickel@clarkpest.com • (916) 674-2900
Stones Gambling Hall, 6510 Antelope Rd, Citrus Heights

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY - October 23 @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Tarry Howard – Hydrex
tarry_h@hotmail.com • (818) 437-6584
Los Toros Restaurant, 217433 Devonshire St, Chatsworth

November

SAN BERNARDINO/RIVERSIDE DISTRICT
November 6 – Social Hour @ 5:30 p.m., Meeting / Dinner @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Ryan Pena – Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control
ryanp@craigandsons.com • (909) 335-1486
La Casa Ortega, 1690 Spruce St, Riverside

VINTAGE COASTAL DISTRICT
November 7 - Social Hour @ 6:00 p.m., Meeting / Dinner @ 7:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Billy Gaither – Van Hooser Enterprises
beetleman@comcast.net • (707) 410-8117
Zoo Fraedos, 23 Harbor Way, Vallejo

SHASTA DISTRICT - November 12 @ 12:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Mike Bullert – Big Time Pest Control
mbullert@bigtimepestcontrol.com • (530) 242-8830
Vittles Restaurant, 2385 North Street, Anderson

MID CAL DISTRICT - November 12 @4:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Brad Delk - Delk Pest Control
bdelk@delkpestcontrol.com • (209) 465-5656
Stockton Country Club, 3800W. Country Club Blvd., Stockton

SAN DIEGO DISTRICT - November 12 @ 5:30 p.m.
CHAIR: David Hinrichs – Lloyd Pest Control
david.hinrichs@lloydpest.com • (619) 668-1958
Country Inn & Suites, 5975 Lusk Blvd, San Diego

BAY AREA DISTRICT
November 13 – Social Hour @ 5:30 p.m., Meeting / Dinner @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Allen R. Kanady – Omega Termite & Pest Control
allenrobert@omegapest.com • (510) 544-5913
El Portal Restaurant, 2028 Lewelling Rd, San Leandro

CENTRAL VALLEY DISTRICT – November 14 @ 4:00 p.m.
CHAIR: John Painter – Dustin Pest Control
john@dustinpestcontrol. com • (559) 275-2253
Call Chair for meeting location information

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT - November 14 @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Heidi Aguilar-Alvarez– Your Way Fumigation
heidi@ywfumigation.com • (951) 232-2388
Dave & Busters, Irvine Spectrum, Irvine

SOUTHERN VALLEY DISTRICT - November 14 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Patrick Clark – Clark Pest Control, Bakersfield
pclarkzapbugs@aol.com • (661) 635-3535
Chalet Basque Restaurant, 200 Oak St, Bakersfield

VENTURA DISTRICT - November 20 @ 7:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Rudy Ayala - Spearhead Pest Control
rudy@spearheadpestcontrol.com • (805) 746-4547
Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, 600 East Esplanade Dr., Oxnard

CENTRAL COAST DISTRICT - November 21 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Chris Atchison - Clark Pest Control
catchison@clarkpest.com • (805) 478-9900
F. McLintocks, 750 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach

Frequently Asked-For Websites

Department of Fish & Game
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/

Department of Food & Agriculture
www.cdfa.ca.gov

California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
www.cdpr.ca.gov

DPR on Facebook
www.facebook.com/capesticideregulation

DPR on YouTube (see "playlists" for videos pertaining to new surface water regulations)
www.youtube.com/user/californiapesticides

DPR on Twitter
twitter.com/ca_pesticides

DPR LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/company/california-department-of-pesticide-regulation

Healthy Schools Act
http://apps.cdpr.ca.gov/schoolipm/

Structural Pest Control Board
www.pestboard.ca.gov

Find Your Legislator
www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

NPMA's QualityPro Accrediation Application
www.npmaqualitypro.org/apply

Remember when just having a website for your company was enough to drive more business? It’s a different story nowadays, considering most – if not all - of your competition has a presence on the web. To drive repeat business, your site needs to be more than just visually appealing and easy to navigate; it needs to give potential customers the answers that they’re looking for...

What Is It?

Educational content is an essential part of having a quality site that gets your phone ringing. Before customers know whether they’re ready to request an appointment with a pest control professional, they want to understand their problem and what it’ll take to fix it.

Therefore, your website needs to tell a story about your business. Don’t limit your story to just a list of your services and your phone number. Use a blog to address pest concerns that you often hear from customers. Create an FAQ page to ask and answer questions in the language that prospects are using. Add a video to your ‘About’ page that shows your technicians tackling inspections or maintenance treatments. All of these pieces of content together expand your company’s story from a simple service provider to an industry leader that has the answers customers are looking for.

Why Is It Important?

Educational content does more than just make your company look smart. It yields a variety of benefits that not only get your company new customers, but also bring the same customers back for continued service:

• It Guides Customers to a Decision. It’s not always the case that people searching for pest maintenance services are looking for help right away. A lot of the time, online searchers, or researchers more accurately, like to learn as much as they can before they make a decision. So when a prospect finds a site that doesn’t offer much in the way of helpful information, they’ll jump to a site that does – and eventually take their business elsewhere.
  
  Educational content keeps users engaged while they’re in research mode. Pest control plans aren’t signed every day, and it’s important to remember that your customers are making a substantial investment in their homes. With this in mind, make sure you are making an equal investment in them by providing information that helps them make an educated decision. 

•  It Gets You Noticed Online. Google keeps its cards close their chest in regard to the complex way they rank online search results. Their mission, however, is simple: show searchers the most valuable results possible. Google – and other search engines – “crawl” sites on the Web to get a feel for how valuable content is to any given search. They want to make sure that when someone looks up “termite control” or “bed bug control,” the results are related and useful.
  
  Educational content is a fantastic way to get noticed by Google and make it easier to get noticed online. Quality content about your services, products and company history will spell everything out to search engines. The easier you make it on search engines to understand what you do, the higher you’ll show up in online searches. The higher you rank in search results, the more site visitors and phone calls your company will get. After all, think about the last time you searched for something online; did you look beyond the first page of results, or even look at the bottom of the first page? 

• It Sets You Apart From the Rest. Like we said earlier, most of your competition has a website that features their services and contact info. If your company’s site is the same, it’s going to be hard for customers to tell you apart from the pack. Educational content will allow you to stand out and get noticed.
  
  Some pest control companies get nervous about sharing valuable knowledge pertaining to the industry. They fear that this knowledge could lead to a “teach a man to fish” situation where the customers know enough to finish the job on their own. The truth is, especially in the pest world, customers are just curious and want to make educated decisions for themselves. If they can’t find the information that they’re looking for on your site, you end up losing business when they find a competitor with site that does.

Business owners know better than anyone that customers move fast. The same is especially true of prospects online. In order to hold the attention of potential clients and drive them back to your site when they’re ready to make a deal, load up your site with quality content that helps users make choices they can feel good about. Your website is the foundation of your online marketing strategy, so reinforce your foundation with quality educational content!

Alain Parcan, Director of Marketing for Market Hardware, Inc., contributed this article. Alain brings nearly 10 years of experience in educating businesses so they can market themselves more effectively. Market Hardware helps small businesses compete on the web and offers special discounts for PCOC members. You can reach Alain’s team at 888-381-6925.