By By Adrienne McKenzie
Operating safely has paid off for the City of Atmore's Utilities Board, manager Tom Wolfe said.
The Utilities Board was honored with the Silver Risk Management Award at the 2007 Annual Convention of the Alabama League of Municipalities in Huntsville April 24.
"Of course we're always honored to get an award," Wolfe said. "We were especially honored with this one because it means our employees have worked safely."
The Silver Risk Management Award was given to the Atmore Utilities Board by the Alabama Municipal Insurance Corporation (AMIC).
"The AMIC is a consortium of municipalities that have formed their own insurance company," Wolfe said. "They have professional managers but the object is to keep the rates low."
The Alabama League of Municipalities sponsors the Municipal Workers Compensation Fund (MWCF) and the AMIC. Approximately 750 public entities participate in either one or both of these organizations.
The board of directors of both MWCF and AMIC founded the Risk Management Award system in 2002. The system acknowledges members that have incorporated risk management and loss control activities in the effort to reduce the loss ratio. This also improves the success of the League sponsored insurance programs.
Only the top 5 percent of MWCF and AMIC members with minimal losses for a five-year period receives the President's Risk Management Award. There are three additional levels of achievement, the gold, silver and bronze.
Winning the award means that the utilities board has worked carefully throughout the year to keep employees out of harms way. The award is proof that the Utilities Board employees, property and liability losses are being reduced. Also, employees and citizens are benefiting from a safer workplace and community.
"It is an award from our insurance company that means we didn't have many accidents and that we operated safely," Wolfe said.