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2017 Southern Automotive Repair Conference to be Held in Biloxi, MS, April 21–22 The 2017 Southern Automotive Repair Conference (SARC) will be held Friday, April 21st and Saturday, April 22nd at IP Casino, Resort & Spa in Biloxi, MS. According to event organizers, SARC’s purpose is to provide an annual industry forum for collision repair professionals in the Southeast region, where attendees can visit exhibits, receive important updates and information, stay abreast of new vehicle technologies, promote consumer safety, and succeed in the marketplace. Themes of the event include
OEM Perspective, Status of Independent Shops, Training in a Hi-Tech Age, and Innovative Resources. Conference hosts are the state auto body associations of Alabama (ALARISE), Georgia (GCIA), Louisiana (LACIA), Mississippi (MSCRA), and Tennessee (TCRA). These associations will have tables at the Conference to provide information and help exhibitors and attendees get the most from the Conference. Attendee Check-In and Registration begins at 11:00 am Friday morning. Friday morning pre-sessions with See SARC 2017, Page 19
Collision Repairers in FL Voice Their Concerns to Commissioner of Dept. of Agriculture Adam Putnam by Stacey Phillips
From January 26–28 in Tifton, Georgia, the National Auto Body Council (NABC) took the lead in sponsoring an onsite training class to lessen the amount of time it takes to extract an occupant from their vehicle in an ac-
Extrication training (file photo)
cident. Called the First Responders Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.) program, the course was created after much research by NABC, including multiple interviews with first respon-
by John Yoswick
Commissioner Adam Putnam of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
See FL Concerns, Page 18
First Responders’ Emergency Extrication Program in Tifton, GA, Backed by NABC and AR Direct
der personnel for whom the class is intended. “When a firefighter thanks you for providing the training that makes their jobs easier it’s incredibly moving. First responders such as firemen require the most current vehicle information to be effective and save lives at the scene of an accident,” states Barry Barbee, Executive Director of AR Direct and a National Auto Body Council Board Member. “The course we delivered helps keep these individuals up to date, which is more important than ever given the rapid onslaught of advancements in vehicle design.” “Three days of absolutely some of the best training we have done. Thanks to Georgia Extrication and the National Auto Body Council for making this happen. Tifton Fire Department had 32 firefighters participating See Extrication Program, Page 12
CIC Panel Discusses Scanning, Need For Following OEM Repair Procedures
Change Service Requested
A group of industry stakeholders in Florida recently sat down with Commissioner Adam Putnam of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. During the hour-long meeting in January, repairers, suppliers, industry experts and consumers shared concerning issues regarding the collision repair industry. “We were able to express some serious concerns relative to consumer safety and economic well-being,” said Barrett Smith, owner of Auto Damage Experts (ADE). The 20 attendees
VOL. 7 ISSUE 13 MARCH 2017
The value of pre-scanning collisiondamaged vehicles was reiterated a number of times by panelists at the recent Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held this January in Palm Springs, CA. Jake Rodenroth of Collision Diagnostic Services (maker of the asTech remote scanning system), who said his company did just over 6,000 vehicles scans in December, cited an example of a vehicle problem found in a prescan that the shop—and potentially the vehicle owner—would otherwise not have known about. The scan showed one fault code, related to lost communication with the airbag control module, triggering the shop to check the instrument cluster. “What we found was pretty alarming,” Rodenroth said. “We found this had been a [used] car, and someone had
sewn a resistor into the wiring harness to cheat the airbag light from coming on.” Chuck Olsen of AirPro Diagnostics, another remote scanning service provider, said preand post-scanning removes liability issues for collision repairers and insurers. “I know the condition of the vehicle Chuck Olsen when it came in, and I know the condition of the vehicle when it went out, so [as the shop] it’s not going to be my fault,” Olsen said. CIC attendee Gary Wano, an Oklahoma shop owner, posed a realworld analogy for a question often discussed in the industry: Does an insurer owe for a scan if the scan reveals nothSee CIC Panel, Page 16
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