Unigard Insurance Group has been awarded the 2005 Business and Industry Preparedness Award by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). United States Congressman Dave Reichert, who heads the Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee, will announce the award to the company’s emergency response team Nov. 21 at 11:30 a.m. (15805 NE 24th Street, Bellevue).
JoAnn Jordan, interim emergency manager for the city of Bellevue, nominated Unigard for the award in recognition of its contributions to the city’s emergency preparedness program.
“Unigard is an industry leader in our community,” said Jordan. “They were one of the first corporations to create an employee response program. Since then they have gone much further in their planning and training, taking a comprehensive, all hazards approach to the emergencies and disasters that can happen in our area.”
The IAEM awarded Unigard “for implementing a business continuity plan that considers multiple hazards, coordinates with local emergency management, and is a model for other companies.”
Unigard was recognized at IAEM’s 53rd annual conference and expo, Nov. 12-16 in Phoenix. Bill Mitzel, Unigard commercial lines risk control specialist, oversees the emergency management program and spoke about the program at the national conference.
“It’s our job as loss control professionals to help our commercial insureds protect the safety of their employees and implement business continuity plans,” said Mitzel. “Having a model program in place at our own company helps us understand the challenges of developing an emergency response team, a key component to building corporate resiliency.”
Unigard’s emergency response team includes 42 employees who are trained to provide specialized response, including addressing fire and hazardous material concerns, search and rescue, communications, medical and humanitarian assistance. The company offers complementary training in First Aid, CPR, workplace violence prevention, and emergency procedures. Unigard has also invested in Automatic External Deliberators and other supplies to help ensure the company is prepared for foreseeable emergencies. The company works closely with the Bellevue police and fire departments and has assisted in their annual threat assessments.
For more information please contact Anne M. Smith.