News Briefs

Pest Control Operators of California

February 2015
Univar USA, Inc.
EVP NOTES

Our primary goal as an association of pest control professionals is to protect the pest control industry in California. You have heard me say this before but it bears repeating: we live in one of the most highly taxed and regulated states in the nation and the industry is constantly under attack.

That is why what we are doing next month is so important. PCOC's Leg Day, March 24-25, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento. This is YOUR opportunity to influence how elected officials feel about pest control. This is so critical because they will be voting on issues which affect our industry. The power of seeing a constituent walking into a legislator's capital office is huge. Legislators respect the fact that you have taken the time from your business to come to Sacramento.

Therefore, it is important that you show up! Next, I often get asked how do I make appointments with my legislators.

First, call the legislator's office in Sacramento. You can find out who your Assembly member(s) and Senator(s) are by searching on Google. Ask to speak to the legislator's scheduler. Tell the scheduler your name, your business, and that your business is in the district, or that you live in the district. Either one.

Let the scheduler know that you're coming to Sacramento on Wednesday March 25 for PCOC's Legislative Day and that you would like to schedule a meeting with the legislator to update them on pest control issues. Also, invite them to attend our legislative reception on Tuesday March 24, 5.30-7 PM at Mayahuel Restaurant. [They will be receiving a proper invite from us but this just helps reinforce it.]

The best time to meet with the legislator is in the morning, after 9:00 a.m. Be flexible.

You may be told that you can meet with a staff person rather than the legislator. Definitely take that meeting. In California, just as in Congress, staff wield a great deal of influence.Some offices prefer that a faxed appointment request be sent to the scheduler.

Some of our districts coordinate their members' visits to local legislators. Check with your district chair. In any event, if you know some other colleagues who are coming to leg day, it's a good idea to touch base with them, also.

So much for the instructions. What remains is the most important function that a citizen can perform in a democracy: educating elected officials. See you at the Capital!

Heat Assault
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The 2015-2016 Session of the California Legislature has just begun. Bills are currently being introduced. PCOC's Legislative Agenda is being formulated.

Control Solutions, Inc.
IN THE NEWS

LEG DAY 2015 – MARCH 24-25

PCOC Legislative Day 2015 is almost here. To register, please go to www.pcoc.org and look under the events tab to get a registration form with an agenda and to get a link for hotel reservations. This day is so important because it allows our industry to speak directly to our legislators, informing them of our issues. This is our chance to show we have a strong voice, so the more attendees the better.

District chairs should be on the lookout for an invitation to a Google document Jim Steed and I will be putting together to allow each district to input their legislative appointments. This will greatly help prevent miscommunications and allow us to make sure we are able to contact every legislator in some fashion. If you do not have a Google account, we will include instructions on how to best utilize this tool to benefit the industry. We thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you at the capital in March.



WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS GET A WDO INSPECTION

A recent story from one of our members came across my email. A home in Imperial County was recently sold only using a report from a home inspector. The home inspector told the buyers that the mud they were seeing was mud someone had sprayed on the wall because they thought it looked cool. The home is infested with subterranean termites and will cost the new homeowners around $2,300 to correct.

As we all know in the pest control industry, it is so vitally important – especially for the buyer’s protection – to get a WDO inspection. Home inspectors are neither licensed nor allowed to comment about the presence or absence of wood destroying insects. If you have similar cases, please feel free to email them to me, josh@pcoc.org. I will be saving them to build a case file to help stress the importance of a WDO inspection. I will also be keeping the sources of these stories anonymous.

Click HERE to see the picture.



AREA IPM ADVISOR – LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTIES

UCCE Los Angeles County will be holding interviews of candidates being considered for a new Urban IPM Advisor program, serving Los Angeles and Orange counties and part of the UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM). A 30-minute public presentation is included in each interview. Please consider attending in order to provide feedback on these candidates to the search committee charged with filling the position. See below for times and venue information for these public presentations:

February 17

Candidate 1 (Benjamin Hottel): 8 am presentation

Candidate 2 (Frederique de Lame): 11:30 am presentation

Candidate 3 (Bal Gautam): 3 pm presentation

February 18

Candidate 4 (Siavash Taravati): 9 am presentation

Candidate 5 (Znar Barwary): 1 pm presentation

All presentations will be in a large meeting room at UCCE Los Angeles (ask Keith Nathaniel, kcnathaniel@ucanr.edu, for specifics); venue info:



NEW IPM IN SCHOOLS ONLINE COURSE - FREE

Link to Course:

The course is free and was developed by UC Berkeley, UC IPM, with input and review by DPR and Pest Control Operators of California.
 
A new course is available for all pest control licensees. The course is free and was developed by UC Berkeley, UC IPM, with input and review by DPR and Pest Control Operators of California. This course is intended for pest management professionals (PMPs) who provide, or would like to provide, pest management services in schools and child care centers. This course will help PMPs provide IPM services in schools and child care centers, comply with the Healthy Schools Act, and expand their business.

Two CEUs include:
DPR: 1 hour "Laws" and 1 hour of "Other"
Structural Pest Control Board: 1 hour of "Rules and Regs" and 1 hour of "IPM"

Please contact Asa Bradman if you have any questions:
Asa Bradman, PhD, MS
Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH)
School of Public Health/UC Berkeley
1995 University Ave Suite 265
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: 510-643-3023 Fax: 510-642-9083


IN MEMORIAM

Darrell Ennes passed away on Friday, February 6, 2015. Darrell was President of PCOC 2008-2009. Current Legislative Committee Chairman. A legend in the industry, he will be greatly missed.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Darrell on Friday February 20 at 1 PM, at the Eagles Lodge, 215 Scott Street, Folsom, CA 95630.

 
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
2015

Board of Directors Meeting / LEG Day March 24-25, 2015
Hyatt Regency Sacramento, Calif.
FLIER

AZPRO Great Western Conference March 30-31, 2015
Carefree Resort & Conference Center  Carefree, Ariz.
FLIER

Leadership 2015 May 29-30, 2015
Catamaran Resort – San Diego, Calif.

PCOC Expo 2015 June 25-27, 2015
Hyatt Regency Monterey, 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 breann@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

When you think of air pollutants, you probably think of smog, auto exhaust and industrial emissions. But often indoor air can have more pollutants than outdoor air.

Since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, outdoor air quality has improved along many measures. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is another story altogether. Since the late 1970s, buildings have been built more air-tight to conserve fossil fuels, creating virtually air-tight buildings. The World Health Organization has estimated that as many as 30 percent of new and remodeled buildings worldwide contain enough pollutants to make workers ill. This means any contaminants indoors become trapped, and often concentrated.

Health experts are finding more links between air quality and health conditions such as asthma and allergies. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has found that the most likely sources of IAQ complaints are poor ventilation, poor thermal conditions (too hot or too cold), relative humidity (too high or too low), poor ergonomic layout of office space, emissions from office machines, copiers, and other building contaminants.

Improving indoor air quality takes two steps: source reduction and improved ventilation.

Source reduction requires finding sources of indoor pollution and eliminating, reducing or containing them. Steps you can take include:

  • Banning smoking and the use of e-cigarettes indoors (if your state or municipality doesn't already ban workplace smoking)
  • Disposing of trash and garbage promptly and properly
  • Working with your building manager to reduce or eliminate applications of chemical pesticides and herbicides, both inside and outside the building
  • Selecting furnishings and finishes with minimal or no off gassing. Common off gassing culprits include carpeting, furniture and other items made with particleboard or other composite materials, paints and varnishes.
  • Working with cleaning services to ensure cleaning supplies are nontoxic.
  • Reducing exposure to radon (which varies depending on soils and geography of your area) by installing vapor barriers.
  • Checking sources of combustion, such as furnaces, stoves, heaters, etc. for release of carbon monoxide. Many municipalities now require buildings to have carbon monoxide alarms in addition to smoke alarms. As CO is colorless and odorless, a monitor or alarm can save lives.
  • Checking office supplies for toxicity and fumes. Glues, solvents, toners and other common substances can release harmful fumes into the air. You can find substitutes, minimize their use or make sure workers using these substances do so in a well-ventilated area with eye and nose protection, if necessary.

Improving ventilation. In modern commercial buildings with sealed windows, indoor air quality depends on your HVAC system. To provide optimum ventilation:

  • Do not block air vents or grilles
  • Have a professional HVAC service evaluate your system for airflow, filtration and dampness. Dampness in the ducts can allow mold to grow, which can release spores into the air throughout the building.
  • Pay attention if more than one worker complains of eye, nose or and throat irritation; coughs; headaches; fatigue; nausea or muscle pain, particularly if those symptoms disappear or improve when they leave the office. These symptoms could indicate an indoor air quality problem.

For more information on dealing with indoor air quality and other workplace environmental problems, please call the PCOC Insurance Program professionals of EPIC Insurance Services at 877-860-PEST or email us at propest@epicbrokers.com.

 
NEW MEMBERS

FULL NAME
COMPANY
DISTRICT
MEMBER TYPE JOIN DATE REFERRED BY
Rosario Bernal A

1/16/2015

Scott Fries
AFLAC
SANFERNDO
Mr. Paul Wynhamer R

2/1/2015

Tamara Tibbett-Arendt
Major League Pest
SANDIEGO
Todd A. Jones A

1/21/2015

Eric Paulsen
Archer Norris
BAYAREA
Natalya Neverov A

2/11/2015

Joshua Adams
Atlas Accounting
BIGVALLEY
Christina Murrietta Z

2/11/2015

Joshua Adams
Atlas Accounting
SANBERND
Mr. Keith Barton R

1/29/2015

Michael Glauser
I Am Pest Control
SOUTHERN
Hannah Strasser Z

1/23/2015

Dow AgroSciences
ORANGE
Laura Angeles R

1/21/2015

Fumigation Direct Inc.
SANDIEGO
Kelly Wiens R

2/11/2015

Joe Terra
Kelly Petes Pest Services
BAYAREA
Mr. Jeff A. Mudd R

2/11/2015

Adam Reed
Best Rate Termite
SANDIEGO
Matthew Wuhrman A

2/5/2015

Travis Swope
Northwestern Mutual
ORANGE

 
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
Mega Fume, Inc.
Syngenta Professional Products