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Specialty Lines
Keeping the focus on risk management is very important. Over the past several years we have been trying some new things to encourage counties and county related entities to invest more in risk management. Our Risk Managers Council meets twice a year, and provides a free forum for risk managers to meet and share challenges and solutions. PCoRP and PComp provide premium credits to members which have full or part time risk managers. Grant programs from PCoRP, PComp and PELICAN provide funding for risk management projects.
We used to refer to these services as loss control, but we are now changing this to risk control. Risk management is not just about controlling and preventing losses, it is also concerned with identifying risks and putting plans in place to eliminate or lessen the chance risk will impact the county or county related entity. As risks are identified, methods to mitigate them can be applied. Insurance is one of those methods - it is a financial transfer or some or all of the risk to the insurer, and the premium is the cost for that risk transfer.
So you will start seeing some new titles, our workshops are part of our Risk Management Training. CCAP employees that visit and assist you are now called Risk Control staff. You will see more emphasis from us promoting risk managers in every county. Counties do so many different things, and work hard to do them well, but each service provided brings additional risk to the county. A good risk manager, with support from top management, can protect the county from unexpected budget impacts due to lawsuits, damage to property, employee injuries and more.
Make sure you contact us when you need help with something.
John Sallade
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Insurance Staff Changes
CCAP has completed a staff restructuring, which resulted in some changes on the insurance staff. Linda Rosito, Risk Management Training Director, has joined the insurance staff and will continue to be responsible for all risk management training. Christie Ward, Cindy Wagner and Peggy Ibaugh's positions have been restructured and their duties assigned to other staff.
Here is a listing of new contacts for services which they were responsible:
Auto/Vehicle change forms - Tona Faust
Certificates of Insurance - Tona Faust
COMCARE - Lucy Kitner and Michele Denk (CCAP
policy staff)
COMCARE PRO - Julia Jackson
PIMCC Act 22 Services - Ginger Galliher (CCAP
finance staff)
PIMCC - Julia Jackson
Property change forms - Tona Faust
Volunteers Insurance - Karen Cohen
If you have any questions, please contact John Sallade.
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2015 CCAP Salary Survey Is Now Available
For the first time, the CCAP Salary Survey is available online in an interactive format. The 2015 CCAP Salary Survey includes over 14,000 county positions from 52 Pennsylvania counties! Access to the survey is available at no cost for all CCAP members and their staff. This includes all county elected officials, all county staff members and staff of any county related entity. Others may purchase access for a fee.
The Survey is posted on the CCAP website (Click here to go to the Survey).
A user ID and password are required for access. Please use this link to register for access to the CCAP Salary Survey. Your user ID and password will be unique to you and your county and should not be shared. Please allow up to 24 hours for the processing of your user ID and password. NOTE: Even if you are registered to the CCAP website, a separate user ID and password will be required for the CCAP Salary Survey. All users will need to register using the link above for access.
We conducted a webinar on July 30 to show how to use the Survey. We will soon be posting on the CCAP website a link to the recording of that webinar.
Thanks to all who participated in this year's survey! We had a tremendous response and are thrilled to be able to reintroduce this powerful resource for our members.
For more information, contact Julia Jackson, Deputy Director, Insurance Pool Operations at (800) 895-9039 x 3305.
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| Tornado Season Is Here
By Dennis Cutler, CSHM Risk Control Specialist
It's that time of year again - severe thunderstorms leading to tornado watches and warnings. Does your county's emergency plan deal with tornados and is it up to date?
STAY TUNED FOR STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS
When there are thunderstorms in your area, turn on your radio or TV to get the latest emergency information from local authorities. Listen for announcements of a tornado watch or tornado warning.
LOCAL WARNING SYSTEM
Learn about the tornado warning system of your county or locality. Most tornado-prone areas have a siren system. Know how to distinguish between the siren's warnings for a tornado watch and a tornado warning.
TORNADO WATCH
A tornado watch is issued when weather conditions favor the formation of tornadoes, for example, during a severe thunderstorm.
During a tornado watch,
TORNADO WARNING
A tornado warning is issued when a tornado funnel is sighted or indicated by weather radar. You should take shelter immediately.
THUNDERSTORMS
Because tornadoes often accompany thunderstorms, pay close attention to changing weather conditions when there is a severe thunderstorm watch or warning. A severe thunderstorm watch means severe thunderstorms are possible in your area. A severe thunderstorm warning means severe thunderstorms are occurring in your area. Keep fresh batteries and a battery-powered radio or TV on hand. Electrical power is often interrupted during thunderstorms, just when information about weather warnings is most needed.
IMPORTANT MEASURES TO TAKE
- Take the time to develop a tornado emergency plan. Sketch a floor plan of where you work, walk through and discuss where and how to seek shelter.
- Show a second way to exit from each room or area. If you need special equipment, such as a rope ladder, mark where it is located.
- Make sure everyone understands the siren warning system, if there's such a system in your area.
- Mark where your first-aid kit and fire extinguishers are located.
- Mark where the utility switches or valves are located so they can be turned off, if time permits, in an emergency.
- Teach employees how to administer basic first aid, how to use a fire extinguisher, and how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity in your building.
- Learn the emergency dismissal policy.
EXTRA MEASURES FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
- Write down your specific needs, limitations, capabilities and medications. Keep this list near you always--perhaps in your purse or wallet.
- Find someone nearby (a spouse, roommate, friend, neighbor, relative or co-worker) who will agree to assist you in case of an emergency. Give him or her a copy of your list. You may also want to provide a spare key to your home or directions to find a key.
- Keep aware of weather conditions through whatever means are accessible to you. Some options are closed captioning or scrolled warnings on TV, radio bulletins, or call-in weather information lines.
PRACTICING YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN
Conduct drills and ask questions to make sure your employees remember information on tornado safety, particularly how to recognize hazardous weather conditions and how to take shelter.
WRITING DOWN IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Make a list of important information. Include these on your list:
- Important telephone numbers, such as emergency (police and fire), paramedics and medical centers.
- Names, addresses and telephone numbers of your insurance agents, including policy types and numbers.
- Telephone numbers of the electric, gas and water companies.
- Name and telephone number of your landlord or property manager.
- Important medical information (for example, allergies, regular medications and brief medical history).
- Year, model, license and identification numbers of your vehicles (automobiles, boats and RVs).
- Bank's or credit union's telephone number and your account numbers.
- Radio and television broadcast stations to tune to for emergency broadcast
SHUTTING OFF UTILITIES
Note: Utilities should only be handled by qualified individuals.
If there is adequate warning before a tornado event, all utilities should be shut off if possible and won't disrupt critical operations. If this is not possible, utilities should be immediately inspected after the event and appropriate actions taken if necessary.
For more information, contact the CCAP Risk Control Department at (800) 895-9039; or email us at:
Keith Wentz, Risk Control Manager
Maureen McMahon, Risk Control Specialist
Andrew Smith, Risk Control Specialist
Dennis Cutler, Risk Control Specialist
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| Fall Workshop Season Starts in September
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Upcoming Events
COMCARE PRO SAC Meeting
Wednesday, August 19, 2015, 8:30 a.m. - Noon
Hotel Vermont, Burlington, VT
PCoRP Board Meeting
Friday, September 11, 2015, 10:00 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg
PComp Board Meeting
Friday, September 25, 2015. 10:00 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg |
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HOT TOPIC
PCoRP and PComp Grant Programs
Members of CCAP's PCoRP and PComp insurance programs now have access to grants to be used for safety projects and loss prevention. PCoRP's Loss Prevention Grants for the 2015-2016 policy year are $15,000 per member. PComp's Safety Improvement Grants for the 2015 policy year are $11,000 per member.
Both grant programs have the goal of providing incentive for counties and county related entities to accomplish some projects which might not have been possible due to funding issues. Both programs are now outright grants - no matching funds are required. PCoRP and PComp Members have been sent the forms to apply for the grants, along with a listing of suggested uses.
We've seen lots of participation by safety committees in the grant process, which is wonderful! The committees are uniquely positioned to know where losses or near misses have occurred.
One question we have been getting is, can the grant programs be combined? If you are a member of both programs, the answer is yes, if the project applies to both liability issues and workers' compensation. A good example would be a project to repair the parking lot at the courthouse or administration building. If the parking lot is used by the public, the repairs can help prevent liability lawsuits. If the lot is also used by county employees, the repairs can help reduce workers' compensation claims. You would need to submit an application for both, but the amount of the project could then be paid for by both grants, up to a total of $26,000.
For more information, contact Keith Wentz,
Risk Management and Underwriting Manager at CCAP.
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Quote of the Month
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered."
- Gilbert Chesterson
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