Maynard Employees Participate in Workforce Safety and Risk Management Conference

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 978-841-9948
Email: john@jgpr.net

Maynard Employees Participate in Workforce Safety and Risk Management Conference

MAYNARD — With temperatures dropping and residents gearing up for cold weather, Town Administrator Kevin Sweet reports that three employees from the Town of Maynard recently attended a “Lessons Learned from Last Winter” fall conference.

The event was put on by the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA) — Maynard’s property and casualty insurance provider.

Town Administrator Sweet attended the conference at the Westford Regency on Sept. 17, along with the Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Chris Okafor and DPW Highway Foreman Joe Foster.

“After the historic winter we had this year, we knew it was important to review best polices and procedures to ensure our community is prepared for inclement weather,” Town Administrator Sweet said. “It is always helpful to brush up on these important skills.”

The MIIA Fall Conference was presented in cooperation with MIIA’s employee assistance partner, AllOne Health Resources, and featured presentations and seminars focused primarily on municipal response to last winter’s severe weather, in addition to preparations for this coming winter season.

Some of the presenters included keynote speaker Harvey Leonard, Chief Meteorologist with WCVB-TV Channel 5 in Boston; Mike Cusak, MIIA’s Vice President for Claims Operation; Kristen Gaynor, Senior Claims Adjuster in MIIA’s Workers’ Compensation Department; and officials in emergency management from communities throughout the state.

Speakers offered information highlighting typical winter weather hazards that municipal employees must deal with, advice on winterization plans to put in place, challenges that local cities and towns face working long hours to clear roads, strategies for maintaining salt and sand inventories and planning snow plow routes, and a heavy focus on pre-planning.

By participating in this training, the Town of Maynard is now eligible to receive insurance premium credits through the MIIA Rewards Program, which helps reduce the cost of property and casualty insurance.

About the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA):

MIIA is the non-profit, member-based insurance arm of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, insuring nearly 400 cities, towns, and other public entities in the state. In fiscal year 2015, MIIA awarded over $2.2 million of premium credit collectively to the membership through its rewards program for a 13-year total of $24.4 million since the program’s inception. As a member-based organization, MIIA’s only focus is to provide excellent service and quality risk management solutions to Massachusetts municipalities and related public entities. MIIA insures nearly 400 cities, towns, and other public entities in Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.emiia.org and www.mma.org.

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