Member Risk Management Spotlight – Fall 2019

VRSA members have been busy training their staff on a variety of risk management issues and exposures. As partners in risk management, VRSA staff have partnered with members to provide much of this training throughout the state as well as promoting risk management at a number of conferences. Read more below!

OSHA At A Glance

VRSA Senior Safety Consultant Fonda Craig provides OSHA At A Glance training for New Kent County in July.

The Risk Management Leadership Blueprint

VRSA Local Government Specialist Peter Stephenson presents on ethical leadership in Woodstock as part of the Risk Management Leadership Blueprint sessions held around the state. Presentations included public officials liability, ethical leadership, and attracting and retraining employees.

OSHA 10-Hour

VRSA Senior Safety Consultant Eddie Shelton presents an OSHA 10-Hour training in Lexington on July 22.

Virginia School Board Association Trade Show

VRSA Account Executive Nora Pierre and VRSA Senior Account Executive Lisa Schenk participate in the Virginia School Board Association trade show in July.

Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions

VRSA Local Government Specialist Peter Stephenson and VRSA Account Executive Nora Pierre attended the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions conference in July.

Public filming of law enforcement

On Tuesday, July 30, 2019, VRSA Public Safety Specialist Gary Dillon presented Public Filming of Law Enforcement Officers to members of the Woodstock and Strasburg Police Departments at Woodstock Town Hall. This class provides practical tips for dealing with people who may be legitimately exercising constitutional rights and others who are actively trying to bait officers into overreaction.

OSHA 30-Hour Construction Class

From July 22 – 25, VRSA Senior Safety Consultant Fonda Craig participated in an OSHA 30-Hour Construction Class organized by Vinny Gallo, formerly a Safety Officer in Risk Management with the City of Manassas. The course was taught with the help of Prince William County Schools Administrative Coordinator of Risk Management Services Bill Miller and Western Virginia Water Authority Risk/Safety Coordinator Elizabeth Fletcher.

OSHA At A Glance

VRSA Senior Safety Consultants Fonda Craig and Eddie Shelton presented OSHA At A Glance Training at the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority on August 15.

Reasonable Suspicion and Emotional Intelligence

VRSA Director of Education and Training Thomas Bullock presented on Reasonable Suspicion and Emotional Intelligence for the Bedford Regional Water Authority in August.

Virginia Department of Labor and Industry

VRSA Senior Safety Specialist Fonda Craig and Local Government Specialist Peter Stephenson presented at the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health conference on September 12. They presented on Safety Challenges in Local Government.

Reasonable Suspicion and Emotional Intelligence

VRSA Director of Education and Training Thomas Bullock presented on Reasonable Suspicion and Emotional Intelligence for members in Northern Virginia. The training was held at Fairfax City Hall.

Use of Force Assessment for Supervisors

On Sept. 20, VRSA staff were at the Warrenton Police Department sponsoring a Use of Force Assessment for Supervisors presentation from Gerald Takano, a retired lieutenant from the Raleigh, NC police department. This course focuses on understanding and assessing the four elements of reasonable force (Knowledge, Skills, Decision Making, and Documentation), as well as on developing “root cause” analysis skills to differentiate between symptoms and causes.

Back to school!

VRSA goes back to school! On Sept. 17, VRSA’s Director of Communications Hollie Cammarasana and Director of Member Services Marcus Hensel presented on Crisis Communications and Risk Management to senior public relations majors at Virginia Commonwealth University.

DriveSmart Virginia

VRSA Senior Safety Consultant Fonda Craig and VRSA Public Safety Specialist Gary Dillon attended the 7th Annual Distracted Driving Summit in Roanoke, Virginia.
The Summit addressed different facets in the fight against distracted driving. From law enforcement efforts to corporate policies to technology to identifying the problem through research and data, there is a commitment to take a multi-pronged approach to saving lives on our roadways.

Virginia Municipal League conference

VRSA staff attended the Virginia Municipal League Annual Conference in Roanoke in early October. VRSA Public Safety Specialist Gary Dillon presented on Workplace Violence Awareness while VRSA Local Government Specialist Peter Stephenson presented on a panel with Beazley experts on cyber liability.

AGRiP Fall Forum

VRSA Director of Member Services Marcus Hensel served on the Managing Local Public Entities Facing Internal Challenges or Crisis panel at the Association of Governmental Risk Pools (AGRiP) Fall Forum. Panelists discussed the complex, volatile and or publicized risk management situations that arise when a public entity faces multiple, repeated, sensitive, and/or costly claims that could disproportionately impact the whole pool. Each panelist shared information about the unique, member-driven processes and policies that their pools are using to identify high-risk members, mitigate repeat claims, and maintain overall pool health.

VGFOA

VRSA Local Government Specialist Peter Stephenson and VRSA Account Specialist Harry McMillen attended the Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association (VGFOA) 2019 Fall Conference!