Date: September 13, 2004
Contact: Irene Cromer
703-791-8720

RISK MANAGEMENT STAFF RECEIVES TWO ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The Risk Management and Security Office of Prince William County Public Schools received two public sector risk management achievement awards at the Public Risk Management Association’s (PRIMA) twenty-fifth annual conference held in June. The school division won first place in the program category for its School Security Resident Program and third place in the product category for its Crisis/Emergency Preparedness brochure. Don Mercer, director of Risk Management and Security, and administrative coordinators Patti Pittman and Ron Crowe accepted the achievement awards.

Under the School Security Resident Program, established in 1978, citizens provide security services at school sites after business hours, on weekends, and during holidays in exchange for free on-site housing. According to Patti Pittman, administrative coordinator for Risk Management and Security, the residents are “the eyes and ears” for the school and are available to report unusual emergency events such as power outages, freezing pipes, water damage, and trespassers loitering on the property.

The Crisis/Emergency Preparedness brochure provides information to the community regarding the school division’s readiness and actions to be taken under the Homeland Security’s color coded threat conditions. Student Services, Information Services, and Risk Management and Security collaborated to produce the pamphlet.

PRIMA is a non-profit association which offers risk management education, training, and publications to public sector risk management entities. More than 2,200 entities and 1,800 local governments are PRIMA members.