EQE Introduces Free California Seismic Risk Assessment for Homeowners' Peace of Mind Via the Internet.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 1996--EQE International, a leading authority on seismic risk assessment, introduces Nov. 1 a public service/information Internet application that allows California homeowners and homebuyers to obtain an analysis of their home's seismic risk during the next "big quake."

EQE hopes the HomeRisk(TM) program will provide sufficient knowledge to homeowners and homebuyers to preserve life and property and avert an adverse impact on the state economy during the next catastrophic quake. Site-specific information can be used to ascertain a preliminary risk rating for insurance.

"EQE believes HomeRisk can clarify seismic risk on an individual basis for homeowners sufficiently, so that California's earthquake preparedness will increase dramatically by the end of the century," says Peter I. Yanev, EQE President and author of the best-selling "Peace of Mind in Earthquake Country." "EQE is making technology, previously restricted to use by financial institutions, available to the public -- plus, referrals to resources that can help them improve the seismic safety of their homes."

EQE's HomeRisk blends residential real estate with the San Francisco-based corporation's more than 15-years' experience in structural engineering, earthquake retrofitting, and its research into the effects of more than 65 earthquakes worldwide. JCP Geologists, Inc., California's leading source of geologic disclosure information, joins EQE in providing information and expertise for this venture.

HomeRisk, obtainable on the World Wide Web by anyone at home or in libraries and city halls throughout the state, consists of three modules, each with increasing specificity of seismic risk. The uniform resource locator (URL) for HomeRisk is: http://www.homerisk.com/

"EQE chose the Internet as a communications medium because of its open access in California," says Tom K. Chan, EQE Senior Vice President, who heads EQE's development team for HomeRisk. "The site -- `plain English' and highly graphical -- is filled with information about earthquake preparedness, including actions and lists of contractors, home inspectors and consultants. With the flexible option format, homeowners and homebuyers can increase their knowledge of a specific property and understand seismic preparedness by selecting further options."

Option A -- The Neighborhood: This is EQE's free program that explains to homeowners and homebuyers how strongly their neighborhood is expected to shake in the next big earthquake, which fault is expected to cause the shaking, and how individual housing designs, from bungalows to Victorians, will fare.

Option B -- The Snapshot: Individuals can obtain more detailed information about their own home or a house they're considering purchasing by using Option B. For $50, Option B provides an on-line seismic risk profile, gives a preliminary risk rating for a house, and identifies potential areas for improving seismic resistance.

Individuals must enter more specific information about the property site, the foundation any previous retrofitting, and the age and design of the house. Graphics help homeowners and homebuyers answer some of the technically oriented questions.

Option B produces the HomeRisk Internet Report(TM). This summarizes the description of the site and its potential hazards and "damageability." It also proposes a preliminary risk rating and then provides extended reports on: quake hazards, damageability, risk rating, and reduction of risk.

Option C -- The Verified Report: Option C, costing $150, is called the JCP-EQE Home Seismic Report(TM). The Home Seismic Report is an easy-to-read document that provides a homebuyer or homeowner with a measure of earthquake-shaking fitness (seismic resistances) of a home in comparison to other homes on the market. The report combines the best available resources for the job of home earthquake risk assessment, including an inspection, a home checklist, a computerized hazard analysis, and a verified risk determination. -0-

Note to Editors: A password is required for site until Nov. 1. Please contact Byrum by email to obtain one.

CONTACT: Byrum & Associates

Reed Byrum, 415/321-9071

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