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| By Katelyn Gendron Reminder Assistant Editor WEST SPRINGFIELD Last week, the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA) awarded the town with its largest insurance premium to date for its proactive approach to risk management. The MIIA Rewards Program is a voluntary program that provides monetary rewards to municipalities that conduct a variety of risk management activities with their employees such as training activities, loss prevention and management policies in order to reduce incidents of injuries and property damage. Mayor Edward Gibson noted that through these educational and preventative measures it has helped to reduce claims, lower insurance costs and bring $171,564 in insurance credits over the past six years. He added that the funds will be used as a credit of fiscal year 2009's insurance premiums. "We're lowering costs, which in these days and times is beneficial in running government," Gibson said. "We try to get the biggest bang for the buck out of this one." Human Resources Director Sandra MacFadyen attributed the increase in this year's insurance credit to the overwhelming participation by town employees in risk management activities. Gibson noted that he attended several of the trainings this year in order to help him better understand certain aspects of risk management inside and outside of his office. Training seminars are organized under a variety of categories including Public Officials' Liability, School Board Liability, Law Enforcement Liability, Workers' Compensation, General Liability, Automobile and Property. Gibson explained that the seminars cover a variety of basic to complex issues from preventing frozen pipes in town facilities to sexual harassment among employees. The MIIA Rewards Program has disbursed over $1.9 million in insurance credits to 350 members this year; MIIA has awarded approximately $8 million in credits over the past six years. |