News Briefs

Pest Control Operators of California

May 2014
EVP NOTES

When I talk to elected officials, legislators, regulators and the media, one of the things that impresses them about PCOC is the fact that we have 19 districts throughout the state. That each district meets either monthly or every other month and that our members come to these meetings to network and discuss issues. The fact that PCOC members attend district meetings, come together to break bread, after competing with one another during the day, is truly inspiring.

The foundations of PCOC were built, more than 75 years ago, on the camaraderie that exists between fellow members of our profession. Remember, pest control professionals came together and helped form a state regulating body that would regulate them – the Structural Pest Control Board. It just goes to show what can be done with a united group with a common goal. There is real power in grassroots.

Another example of this came a few weeks ago. As you know, PCOC is sponsoring the legislation, AB 1685, which will statutorily create the authority for electronic testing. Once again, the industry came together to support this concept, even though it involves a fee increase. This is what legislators have a hard time understanding. All of the attendees to this year's Leg Day carried with them to the Capitol talking points on AB 1685. Normally, on something like this, there would be opposition from various sides of the political fence, both practical and philosophical.

Fast forward to the hearing of AB 1685 in the Assembly Business and Professions Committee a week after Leg Day. Our bill passed out of the committee 9-0...with no "No" votes! In fact, one of the legislators who was on the fence, commented at the hearing that he had been visited and educated by a group of pest control operators who had described why this legislation was necessary to the industry.

That is grassroots power in action. That is the work of protecting the pest control industry in California. That is what PCOC does.

 
Univar USA, Inc.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The 2013-2014 Legislative Session of the California Legislature is in progress. Click here for PCOC's Legislative Agenda.

 
Apex Fumigation Inc
IN THE NEWS

PITCHING AGAINST CANCER

Having faced each other 10 times so far this year, the San Francisco Giants lead their National League West rivals 7-3 – a great showing for this Giants fan, but on May 9 in L.A., the first pitch was an especially good moment.

Jeff Jones, owner of Admiral Pest Control, was recently awarded the American Cancer Society's 2013 Statewide Patient Courage Award. As part of the award, Jones was asked to throw the first pitch. Jones was diagnosed with Sarcoma in November 2006 and has fought the cancer through chemotherapy and radiation, yet he eventually had to have his right arm amputated on May 9, 2013 – one year prior to throwing the pitch last week.

What made this pitch even more challenging is that Jeff is right-handed, so he has had to spend the last year learning to do everything with his off hand and do everything with only one hand.

"Fighting cancer was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. This is just throwing a ball," he said prior to the event. "I'm just proud to say that by doing this, we are able to raise more than $4,000 for the American Cancer Society. That's $4,000 that goes toward stopping cancer."

Over the last year, Jones has had to adjust to some major changes, he said. "I had worked on writing left-handed and eating left-handed and tried to get into the groove of being one-handed, but it was so much harder than I thought," he said in an interview just after surgery. "It's so much more work buttoning your shirt. You can do a lot of things, but it just takes you twice as long to do it."

In preparation for the big pitch, Jones practiced weekly with his son-in-law and his brother.

"The first thing I had to do was relearn how to do the foot work – everything was backwards," he said. "I don't have the balance of the other arm or the wind up, so it's all arm. My left arm needed to build strength – it hadn't thrown a ball in my entire life." Although he'd been sore, "practice makes perfect," he said.

"I am very honored to have been chosen for this award. I know that I went through a lot of treatments and ultimately lost my arm, but I felt like I did what anyone would do in that situation. You have to take it one day at a time and not focus on the long-term treatments. That keeps it from being overwhelming."

This is Admiral's seventh year of fundraising for the American Cancer Society, and in 2008, he formed Team Admiral to support the Relay for Life – a global event that helps communities raise funds to support the battle against cancer.

Jones and Admiral Pest Control have raised more than $130,000 in support of cancer research via the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Friends and employees of Admiral Pest will walk to raise funds for the Bellflower Relay for Life on June 28 and hopes to raise more than $35,000 for this year's relay.

"Participating in the Relay for Life is a way for us as a company to give back to the community," Jones said. "Cancer touches just about every American. We are proud to be able to give back in this way."

To see the pitch, visit: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B17b9zD3tMw3VHpBWndjdWdDbFE/edit?pli=1

Pre-pitch interview: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B17b9zD3tMw3bllYZV9SUFlTdzQ/edit?pli=1

To find out more about or to make a donation, please go to: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY14CA?px=8859913&pg=personal&fr_id=56373


 
Etex / Electro-Gun
Termite Control
Celebrating 35 years providing a non-chemical termite treatment product to PCO's throughout the USA! Call and find out the benefits of leasing

www.etex-ltd.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
2014

June 19-21
PCOC Expo 2014
Harrah's Las Vegas Casino & Hotel
Las Vegas
Hotel Reservations
Exhibitor Registration
Attendee Registration

June 20
Silent Auction
Sponsored by Target Specialty Products, Leavitt Group
and Drexel
Harrah's Las Vegas Casino & Hotel
Helpful Info

Sept 26-27
Board of Directors Meeting
Doubletree by Hilton Sonoma
Rohnert Park, Calif.

Dec 12-13
Board of Directors Meeting
Hilton Palm Springs
Palm Springs, Calif.
 
Comings and Goings

Welcome to a new section of Newsbriefs! Here, we will give news from our members: new hires, retirements, etc. If you have some news you would like to share, please send a short sentence or two to jenai@pcoc.org.

 
MEMBER NEWS
MEMBER VALUE PROGRAM
PCOC Insurance Program, credit card service, etc.

Visit http://www.naylornetwork.com/cpc-nwl/pdf/Members_Value_Program_Brochure.pdf to view the full article online.

 
PCOC MONTHLY INSURANCE/SAFETY TIP

Determining permanent partial disability benefits is one of the most complex areas of workers' compensation claims management. Many permanent partial disability cases take years to resolve; in one study, a significant fraction of claims were not closed more than three years after the injury date.

A disability, unlike an impairment, represents the socioeconomic loss that an individual sustains as a result of an injury, illness or condition. A permanent impairment need not result in disability, and the same degree of impairment can result in a vastly different degree of disability for different individuals.

For example, a dock worker with a shoulder injury might never be able to return to work, while an accountant with precisely the same injury and the same degree of impairment may be able to return to work quickly with little or no impact on earnings. The injury to that worker would result in a much lower degree of disability. Disability evaluation can include medical assessment, but should also take account of the person's occupation and employment history, education and training, and other demographic and labor market variables.

Every state has different criteria for compensating permanent partial disability. Most states use a schedule—a list of body parts covered and the benefits paid for specific losses, such as the loss of a finger. These losses include the upper and lower extremities and may also include an eye. Most state schedules also include the loss of hearing in one or both ears.

Most states typically do not schedule permanently disabling injuries to the spine, because these injuries can vary so much in severity. Nor do they schedule injuries to internal organs or head, or occupational diseases.

In 2005, California changed the way it rates permanent disability injuries. If the 2005 rating schedule applies to an injury, the treating physician must rate the impairment using guidelines published by the American Medical Association (AMA). A worker with a permanent partial disability become eligible to receive the total amount of PD benefits spread over a fixed number of weeks. Those with a permanent total disability can receive PD payments for the rest of their lives.

Lump-Sum Settlements

Where possible, insurers prefer to close permanent disability claims with a lump settlement rather than deal with the uncertainty of the outcome and final cost of a claim. All but eight states allow insurers to close out indemnity (lost time) benefits with a lump-sum payment; a dozen jurisdictions do not permit them to close the medical benefits portion of a worker's claim.

Many workers also prefer to take their benefits in a lump sum and put the compensation process behind them, even if some of the benefit is paid at a discounted rate. Perhaps more significantly, many jurisdictions allow attorneys to work on contingency, taking a percentage of their client's lump-sum payment. Attorneys can collect their fees more promptly and easily if they come directly from a lump sum paid to the worker.

We can help you evaluate open permanent partial disability cases and work for a resolution. For more information, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program department of The Leavitt Group at (877) 860-7378 or, email us @ProPest@Leavitt.com.

 
NEW MEMBERS

NAME
COMPANY
DISTRICT
MEMBER TYPE REFERRED BY
Brent Coad A
Heat Assault
XOS
Renato Mendez R
Orange Termite
LA/SOBAY
Stevan Allen A
Pyrethroid Working Group Jenai Zeringue
BIGVALLEY
Denise Watkins A Joshua Adams
Snugtop Custom Fiberglass
LA/SOBAY

 
FREQUENTLY REQUESTED INFORMATION

NPMA LOGIN FOR JOINT MEMBERSHIP

LOGIN: 313501

PASSWORD: PCOC


 

Department of Fish & Game
www.dfg.ca.gov

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

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

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

 
MED-NET HOTLINE

For an additional charge, you may access a 24-hour hotline providing consultation by qualified medical doctors on pesticide-related medical emergencies. This service is provided free of charge to Peacock Group insureds.


 
Jenkins Insurance Services
MGK