Class in Session: Indiana Insurance’s™ Safer Schools Seminars™ Scheduled for Indiana

School officials to learn about improving school safety, deterring school violence and educator sexual misconduct

Milwaukee, WI - September 2, 2008 – Indiana Insurance, a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets regional company and the premier provider of school insurance in the Midwest, is holding five Safer Schools Seminars in Indiana later this month.

With the school year getting underway, superintendents, principals, resource officers, and risk managers, will be attending these free, half-day seminars to learn how to improve security, prevent educator sexual misconduct, and create safer learning environments. The Safer Schools Seminars run from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon with registration and continental breakfast at 8:30 am at the following venues:

• Monday, Sept. 22nd (1:30 pm to 4:30 pm), Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza –  Merrillville, IN;
• Tuesday, Sept. 23rd, South Bend Marriott –  South Bend, IN;
• Wednesday, Sept. 24th, Fort Wayne Marriott –  Ft. Wayne, IN;
• Thursday, Sept. 25th, Hilton Indianapolis North – Indianapolis, IN; and
• Friday, Sept. 26th, Evansville Marriott – Evansville, IN.

Attendees can register for any of the seminars by calling 317-581-6500 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or go to www.indiana-ins.com/seminars.

School violence and cases of educator sexual misconduct are crimes that are at the forefront of concern for educators, law enforcement, parents, and students. The Safer Schools Seminars’ presentations will provide attendees with information to lessen the risk of these crimes occurring on school grounds.

“The information we’re presenting will help school districts gauge their current preparedness and procedures,” said Yolanda Washington, Safer Schools Specialist, Indiana Insurance. “There’s a lot more to prevention than simply complying with laws and regulations. A lot can be done to improve safety and security at very little or no cost. An effective safety strategy starts with strong policies and an attentive, well-trained staff that regularly enforces those policies and tests its procedures.”

Ms. Washington will address Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, which encompasses natural surveillance, territorial reinforcement, access and visitor controls, security cameras, weapons of opportunity, and transportation security. Another presentation will examine
sexual harassment in schools, abuser and victim profiles, and how to develop and implement an effective sexual harassment policy.

Mr. Michael McCarty, President of Danville, Indiana-based Safe Hiring Solutions, will present on effective employment applicant screening.

“It should come as no surprise that those who would hurt children seek positions where they have access to children,” said Mr. McCarty. “Many school districts rely on limited criminal database checks. They aren’t aware that in the United States we still have a fractured system where up-to-date criminal histories are not available in one central place. What we provide is a multi-layered, comprehensive approach to background screening.”

Safe Hiring Solutions is a member of Indiana Insurance’s Safety Advantage Network™, which supplements its school loss prevention services by providing access to specialized resources in violence and abuse prevention, as well as more common day-to-day school concerns such as playground and bleacher safety, shop equipment hazards, and medical or facility emergencies.

According to data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, approximately four million students are injured at school each year. Injuries are most likely to occur on playgrounds, athletic fields, in gymnasiums, and during shop classes, where seven percent of school injuries occur. Falls are the most frequent cause of school-associated injuries resulting in hospitalization.

Terry O’Hagan, Vice President of BR Bleachers, also a Safety Advantage Network member, will present on school bleacher retro-fitting and safety. “It’s unbelievable but true, 19,000 bleacher injuries send people to emergency rooms each year,” said Mr. O’Hagan. “Some school districts spend tens of thousands of dollars on athletic fields and gym floors and virtually ignore the bleachers next to them. Bleachers should not be a source of life-changing tragedies.” 

Indiana Insurance’s Safer Schools Specialists consult with school districts on loss prevention and risk mitigation, addressing the most common school hazards through:

• Multi-Hazard Site Assessments™;
• Safer School Inspection Training;
• Playground Safety Inspection & Training;
• Science Lab Safety and Chemical Storage Assessments;
• Vocational Shop Machine Safeguarding Assessments;
• Risk Assessments of Athletic Facilities and Equipment and Kitchens and Food Service; and
• Decision Driving™ for Professional School Bus Drivers.

Indiana Insurance’s Safety Advantage Network members:

• BR Bleachers is dedicated to providing experienced and professional care for school bleachers. For more than 30 years, BR Bleachers has specialized in safety inspections, code upgrades, and certified bleacher repair;
• Cardiac Science Corporation is a leader in the development, manufacture, and marketing of diagnostic and therapeutic cardiology products and services, including Powerheart® Automated External Defibrillators that assist victims of sudden cardiac arrest;
• Childhelp’s Good Touch-Bad Touch® is a nationally-recognized abuse prevention curriculum. Designed for pre-school and kindergarten through sixth grade students, educators are trained to teach children positive, non-threatening, and practical information and skills in order to play a significant role in the prevention or interruption of sexual abuse and bullying;
• Safe Havens International™ is a non-profit school safety center that provides training and resources to make schools safer. Staff analysts are dedicated to helping schools internalize school safety expertise through the development of quality, customized crisis plans tailored to a school’s or organization’s specific needs;
• Safe Hiring Solutions is a full service employment screening firm that specializes in pre-employment background checks and employee drug screening. With more than 70 years of combined law enforcement experience on its management team, Safe Hiring Solutions’ web-based InstaScreen system enables schools and other clients to order and retrieve comprehensive reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;
• SawStop manufactures and markets a line of table saws with an exclusive, integrated saw blade-braking technology that detects the difference between wood and the saw operator. The SawStop safety system provides invisible, built-in, automatic protection which activates should a person contact the saw blade; and
• Summit Trainingweb® provides more than 100 expertly researched online training courses that address critical safety issues, using video, animation, and user interactivity.  

To learn more about the coverages and services available from Indiana Insurance’s Schools Program, go to www.mysaferschool.com/indiana-ins.

About Indiana Insurance
With underwriting companies dating back to 1851, Indiana Insurance offers property and casualty products, including a comprehensive set of personal and commercial coverage, distributed only through appointed independent agents.  Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Indiana Insurance provides insurance in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 

Indiana Insurance is part of Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, a business unit of Liberty Mutual Group, consisting of property and casualty and specialty insurance carriers that distribute their products and services primarily through independent agents and brokers.  Liberty Mutual Group ranks 94 on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations based on 2007 revenues.  The company has financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) from the A.M. Best Company, A2 (Good) from Moody’s Investors Service, and A (Strong) from Standard & Poor’s.

Contact:

Christopher Goetcheus,
774-279-5923
or [email protected]