A new way to tell hurricane season is approaching

[Guest saintjohn]

Yes, this is real:

We are looking to start ramping up for the hurricane season. Our clients have already contacted us asking us to get prepared. Last year we placed over 65 contractors in the Gulf making very good pay for our agents.

If interested please send your resume to resume@coyneconsultinggroup.com, in the subject line write HURRICANE CONTRACTOR. We get a lot of emails, so this way it will get looked at and filed correctly. If we already have your resume, inform us of that, but remember that many of our resumes on file are at least a few months old, so please make sure we have your current, updated resume. All resumes will be verified, so any documentation you have on your résumé, please include it such as dd214, school certificates etc. On your resume please include weapons specialties, handgun, M4, shotgun etc.

We provide your travel, food and bedding during the contract. We are starting to set up our infrastructure now so that any mistakes or shortcomings we had during the hurry up and rush of last year will not be repeated. Our clients have already started reserving mobile homes, vehicles, generators etc. We are determined to not make the same mistakes last year that were inevitable considering we were only given 12 hours notice from our clients.

Once the detail starts, a mobile training team will be in place to train all contractors on site. We are anticipating more EP and tactical teams needed this time around. Please indicate if you have had experience and/or training in these jobs before. If not, you may want to look into training for that type of work. There is a course coming up in June by International

Training Group, ITG, in Florida, look over their website, it would be beneficial for contractors to have that on their resumes. Although not mandatory to work with us, it is very good to have it. Anyone with the training and individuals from last year’s team will be put to the top of the list. It basically saves us time in up-training as well money for insurance

costs with that training on your resume.

If you do register for the course, make sure you tell them you are doing this to train up for being a CCG contractor for the Hurricane. I will work with the company to see if it is possible to get a break or anything on costs, no guarantees though.

Harry Coyne

COYNE CONSULTING GROUP Inc.

400 West Cummings Park, 1725-302

Woburn, MA 01801

Phone: 508.865.8511 or Direct: 617.721.8511

Pager: 800.314.5617 Fax: 508.865.8489

Email: hfcoyne@coyneconsultinggroup.com

[Guest JMT]

when i was in new orleans after katrina, i saw a lot of blackwater guys around.

[Guest saintjohn]

CCG was there, too, but I haven't heard anything good about the company's post-Katrina operation from any of the temp gun slingers involved ("mistakes or shortcomings we had during the hurry up and rush of last year will not be repeated" - promises, promises).

Still, if you've got the skills and don't feature working in an IED zone, it's probably not a bad gig. The fact that CCG is soliciting so openly might be a cause for concern, however. Now that PSD work in Iraq is becoming more and more "insourced," I would've expected the pool of qualified and available candidates to be expanding, but maybe the company isn't paying enough to attract the right people.

[Guest JMT]

CCG was there, too, but I haven't heard anything good about the company's post-Katrina operation from any of the temp gun slingers involved ("mistakes or shortcomings we had during the hurry up and rush of last year will not be repeated" - promises, promises).

Still, if you've got the skills and don't feature working in an IED zone, it's probably not a bad gig. The fact that CCG is soliciting so openly might be a cause for concern, however. Now that PSD work in Iraq is becoming more and more "insourced," I would've expected the pool of qualified and available candidates to be expanding, but maybe the company isn't paying enough to attract the right people.

are you privy to these "mistakes"? im curious what they might be.

i agree with you second part. you would think the experienced market here would be pretty saturated now. this makes it sounds like they might be taking anyone they can find.

any idea what a PS contractor might make in iraq?

[Guest saintjohn]

I don't have any first-hand knowledge of exactly what went wrong with CCG's post-Katrina operation, but there was some griping about it - people I know were surprised by the way things were being run (or not run) by a company that usually enjoys an excellent reputation within the industry.

Of course, the general chaos that followed Katrina may be to blame for many of the complaints. At least the quality of the personnel that CCG hired last year seemed good. One acquaintance worked for another firm in NOLA that sub-contracted some of the Coyne people, and he was favorably impressed. According to him, tasks included the gamut of domestic security work - dynamic entry and room-by-room clearing of high- and mid-rise buildings, static security, asset protection, force protection, convoy protection, and executive protection. In other words, it wasn't a typical Wackenhut type assignment.

As for PSD pay in Iraq, I know a few contractors who grossed well over $300,000 in 2004 (yes, it's all taxable). Most don't make that kind of money, however, and companies have finally started limiting the number of days you can work downrange (which is a good idea for everyone involved). One firm limits employees to 120 days (maximum) on, then 90 days off (decompressing back in the United States, not at some Saudi resort). The freelance cowboy contractor era is over.

But I'm just a freelance writer, so what do I know?

[Guest JMT]

interesting.

you just reminded me of a side story: i toured a large home in one of the flood regions right outside N.O., high-end neighborhood completely deserted. the owner had about $5 million or some ungodly amount in artwork alone. he had his own detail 24-7 for at least a month at the house. his insurance co. probably picked up the tab as it was considered mitigating his losses for his claim.

[all4tribal1414779019]

it will be interesting to see what will happen to some of these insurance companies within the next few months when insurers start to file for hurricane claim losses.

I know for a fact that Poe Financial Group has gonne bankrupt but it seems like the state was taking over and now they got passed on to Citizens.

I wouldn't be surprised if a few others will go bankrupt, but what worries me is that consumers will not have the $ to cover for their "double deductibles" meaning 2005 claim deductibles that were out of pocket expense and if they do get hit they will have another deductible for this year with it mostlikely being higher than last years.

This will be my third year working as a Project Manager/Insurance Claims especialist for Hurricane Claims losses, looking forward to this year's season but not looking forward to anyone getting hurt.

[all4tribal1414779019]

Just got back from another successfull mediation(at the broward mediation center in davie) done by your's truelly 8)

Me/Insured vs. Allstate

2nd one for the week, many more to come within the next couple of weeks.

This pattern seems to be the only way to get these lowballing insurance companies to pay the insurers what they deserve and not lowball them till they give up or just settle for the minimum.