Information You Need to Stay Stronger, Together. In this edition...
R.O.A.D. Ready Program Aims to Save Lives
Risk Management Minute: New STP Episode on “Crime and Coverage”
Read Our Latest Blog: City of Live Oak Evolves While Keeping Small Town Friendliness
Upcoming Loss Prevention Training: Resilience Strategies for Law Enforcement and Much More!
TIPS Sheet: Wood Chipper Safety
2022/23 Fund Year Documents
Member Spotlight: Harker Heights Municipal Court
Service in Focus: The “Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast Series”
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Follow these Four Steps!
Risk Pool Honors Recently Retired Board Members
Risk Pool Board of Trustees Election Results
R.O.A.D. Ready Program Aims to Save Lives The TML Risk Pool provides workers’ compensation coverage to more than 200,000 public servants, including almost 50,000 first responders. Sadly, the Pool averages at least one roadway-related fatality claim each year. This month, local media outlets reported the tragic loss of five dedicated public servants in Texas. Over the last five years, the Pool has had over 19,000 auto-related claims for a total incurred loss of over $150 million. Non-auto-related claims in and around roadways exceeded 12,000 and $78 million. Rather than sit idle in the face of these tragedies and statistics, the Pool has designed the R.O.A.D. Ready program to raise awareness among city employees about the dangers of working in and around roadways and vehicles. It’s also designed to prevent injuries and protect property. (Read more.)
Risk Management Minute: New STP Episode on “Crime and Coverage” Q: Does the TML Risk Pool provide coverage to make a city whole should an employee or third-party steal money or property?
A: Yes. If you’ve elected appropriate crime coverage from the Pool, you may get reimbursed for theft by an employee or third party. Check out Episode 20 – “Crimes and Coverage” – in the Stronger, Together Podcast Series to learn more. The episode also covers Pool coverage for a local official who needs a bond or even seeks reimbursement for a crime convicted in their official capacity, assuming the official is exonerated.
Read Our Latest Blog: City of Live Oak Evolves While Keeping Small Town Friendliness San Antonio suburb, Live Oak, has evolved over the last 60+ years into an affordable residential community while still maintaining the friendliness and neighborly feel of its farming and ranching roots. (It’s also the hometown of the Pool’s Board of Trustees Chair – Mayor Mary M. Dennis.) This approximately 5-square mile town sits amidst gently rolling hills at the interchange of Interstate 35 and Loop 1604, just about 17 miles northeast of The Alamo on the road to New Braunfels. (Read more.)
Upcoming Loss Prevention Training: Resilience Strategies for Law Enforcement and much more! Here’s a list of upcoming loss prevention training. The events calendar has registration details.
TIPS Sheet: Wood Chipper Safety Click here for tips on proper wood chipper safety.
2022/23 Fund Year Documents: As a reminder, all 2022/23 rerate documents have been sent to Members via email this year. The documents included declarations of coverage, schedules, and auto ID cards. Please reach out to your Member Services Manager if you have any questions.
Member Spotlight: Harker Heights Municipal Court
For the second year in a row, the City of Harker Heights Municipal Court has been awarded the Municipal Traffic Safety Award, presented by the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC). The award is presented to municipal courts that have demonstrated outstanding contributions to traffic safety and eliminating impaired driving within their communities.
The Harker Heights Municipal Court was recognized for offering several resources to the public to reduce driving exposures. One resource offered is an app called “You in the Driver’s Seat.” The app focuses on drivers between the ages of 16-25 and is a reward-based educational tool, even
rewarding gift cards for safe drivers from local retail businesses.
In July, court staff participated in a local event promoting “Don’t Drink and Drive.” Several activities were available for visitors to the event, including the use of “drunk goggles” simulating the effects of driving while impaired. The Municipal Court Department also partners with the City’s Library Department during Municipal Court Week to provide books from the TMCEC’s traffic safety series to area youth to increase awareness of driving exposures.
Service in Focus: The “Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast Series” The TML Risk Pool produces the “Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast Series” to help local officials (and managers and staff) understand key legal concepts and Pool coverages and services. Each episode is 15-minutes or less and includes easy action items to help keep your citizens, employees, volunteers, and property safe, all while saving public dollars. Here’s a list of available episodes – find a topic of interest and listen today! (Read more.)
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Follow these Four Steps! October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! This year’s campaign theme — “See Yourself in Cyber” — recognizes that cybersecurity is really all about people. This October focuses on providing information and resources to ensure all individuals and organizations make smart decisions – whether on the job or at home. The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) stresses the importance of taking proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity:
STEP ONE is Think Before You Click! Recognize and Report Phishing, and if a link looks a little off, think before you click. It could be an attempt to get sensitive information or install malware. Check out CISA’s one-pager to better protect yourself.
STEP TWO is Update Your Software: If you see a software update notification, act promptly. Better yet, turn on automatic updates.
STEP THREE is Use Strong Passwords: Use passwords that are long, unique, and randomly generated. Use password managers to generate and remember different, complex passwords for each of your accounts. A passwords manager will encrypt passwords securing them for you!
STEP FOUR is Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): You need more than a password to protect your online accounts, and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked.
The TML Risk Pool and CISA also encourage you to share Cybersecurity Awareness Month with your organization and community. To help you get started, CISA’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month webpage includes a Public Toolkitwith samples to get you started. Finally, check out the 15-minute Episode 9 – “Cybersecurity: Are You Prepared?” – of the Stronger, Together Podcast to learn more.
Questions? Reach out to Ryan Burns, the TML Risk Pool’s Cyber Risk Services Manager, at rburns@tmlirp.org.
Risk Pool Honors Recently Retired Board Members
At its October meeting, the Pool honored retired Board Trustees Henry Wilson, Mary Gauer, Carol Loughlin, Robert T. Herrera, Larry Melton, and Leo Montalvo for their service to the Membership.
Risk Pool Board of Trustees Election Results
The results of the Risk Pool’s 2022 Board of Trustees Election were announced at the TML Annual Conference and Exhibition. The Pool welcomes Kim Meismer (Place 6 - Assistant City Manager in Kerrville) and Chris Coffman (Place 8 – City Manager in Granbury) to the Board. Mary M. Dennis (Place 7 – Mayor of Live Oak) and Opal Mauldin-Jones (City Manager in Lancaster) were re-elected, with Mayor Dennis selected to serve as the Board Chair.
