Harwich participates in conference focusing on security issues for municipalities

HARWICH – Harwich public safety officials recently participated in a conference on “Managing Today’s Security Threats as a Municipality” – presented by the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, the town’s property and casualty insurance provider.

The full-day conference was offered in three regional locations around the state and was presented in cooperation with MIIA’s employee assistance partner, AllOne Health Resources.

Harwich Fire Chief Norman Clarke attended the regional conference held on March 9 inNorthampton.

 “I was happy to take advantage of this important training opportunity and was able to bring home important information to the town department heads,” said Clarke.

 The conference featured presentations and training seminars focused on the issues municipalities are currently facing in regard to safety and security.

Northampton Mayor David Narcewicz delivered the keynote address, which covered the importance of municipal preparedness and resiliency in today’s world of unpredictability.

Narcewicz said that municipal government offices and schools can unfortunately be faced with a range of security threats such as violent workplace incidents, armed intruder, bomb threat, or natural disaster, and it is crucial to have a response plan in place.

In a joint presentation, Cynthia Roberge, Executive Assistant to Mayor Narcewicz, and Rebecca Mazuch, an officer with the Northampton Police Department, introduced the city’s municipal employee safety plan.

The plan, which was developed and rolled out over the past year, includes guidelines for dealing with a potential active shooter situation in the municipal workplace, as well as how to train and communicate with employees to ensure the information is disseminated across departments.

Roberge and Mazuch also discussed the importance of helping employees feel empowered to respond appropriately when they feel threatened or unsafe.

During the conference, Andrea Llamas, Buckland Town Administrator, presented a “smaller town” perspective on municipal safety and security, including suggestions for budget-friendly security options that can help make employees feel safer.

Those included door stops, and ladders for climbing from a window if needed.

A cross-department panel from Northampton – including Corey Robinson, Administrative and Community Services Sergeant; Antonio Pagan, Chief Information Officer; Duane Nichols, Fire Chief; and Dr. John Provost, School Superintendent – discussed key strategies for managing security breaches.

In another presentation, representatives from AllOne Health addressed how creating an organizational culture that incorporates civility and inclusion in the workplace can go a long way toward preventing volatile situations, particularly those that arise between employees. Municipal employers can encourage respect in the workplace, and should access their employee assistance program when an employee seems to be struggling with stress or depression, they said.

Upon completion of the training offered at the spring conference and other MIIA risk- and loss-prevention programs, the participating municipalities are eligible to receive insurance premium credits through the MIIA Rewards program, which helps them reduce costs of property and casualty insurance.

The Rewards program was developed to help mitigate municipal risk, educate members on issues of topical interest, establish prevention practices, and reward members for implementing innovative programs.

Trainings through the Rewards program are presented free of charge by MIIA to its member municipalities.



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