As the end of the school year approaches, students’ minds are on final exams, pick-up basketball games and spending time in the sun—not property management. However, the summer months can be a time that chapter houses are at risk for serious claims. Properly preparing the house for the summer break period can minimize the risk of losses.
Corporations can find multiple resources on the Theta Chi website that you can use to prepare your house for the upcoming break, whether or not the house will be occupied. By following the steps outlined in several of the checklists you may avoid the expense associated with a claim and restoring the damaged area and continue to provide a safe and healthy environment for your collegiate members.
Good luck as you prepare your chapter house for the upcoming break. If chapter officers are responsible for some of these activities, make sure that they provide appropriate follow up with the House Corporation or Property Management team. Please feel free to share it with any interested staff or volunteers.
Protecting your fine arts includes making sure that they are adequately covered by insurance. Fine Arts include paintings, sculptures, folk art, multimedia art, antiques, oriental rugs, and small collectibles such as figurines etc. Because the value of fine arts is based both on authenticity and condition, good documentation is essential. A problem common to fine arts is valuation.
In most insurance policies a separate policy or a separate limit for fine arts must be declared in order to provide more than minimal coverage under a commercial property policy.
The Fraternal Property Management Association Replacement Cost policy, under Business Personal Property, includes personal property in the facility owned or leased by the House Corporation or Chapter. This includes fine arts and composites on display or stored in the facility. It does not include personal property owned by your tenants. This coverage is written on an Agreed Amount basis, unless we receive a Replacement Cost Inventory from you.
If we receive an itemized inventory of your business personal property listing each item and a reasonable estimate of replacement cost, and you are notified it is approved, RSUI Indemnity Company will provide Guaranteed Replacement Cost on these items. Contact your Client Manager at Willis to discuss your specific needs.
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It is that time of year when undergraduates finalizing signing leases with house corporations or with local housing groups for residency next academic year. While house corporations are focused on filling the fraternity house, doesn’t the house corporation also have a responsibility to educate our younger brothers on what they should be looking for when signing leases?
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December is a month filled with an assortment of activities. Many of the month’s hours are devoted to studying for exams and making travel plans for holiday festivities. In this hectic atmosphere it is essential that chapters make preparations to secure the chapter house as members vacate the house for the holidays.
The leading risks to a fraternity house during the holiday breaks are water freeze, fire, vandalism and theft. The following checklist has been compiled to ensure that the house is protected during the winter break.
General Winter Maintenance
Multiple items should be evaluated and inspected prior to closing down the house to prepare for the winter month:
- Complete routine maintenance on furnace/boiler.
- Lock and inspect all windows and repair all broken glass.
- Clean gutters and downspouts to ensure proper roof drainage (improper roof drainage can cause ice damning to occur, which can cause interior water damage).
- Attach and secure downspouts with extension from foundation to prevent water damage, ensuring that they fully displace water away from foundation and other walking areas without draining onto the driveway, sidewalks, or patios.
- Inspect the hot water heater and exposed water lines and drain pipes for slow leaks.
- Drain water lines in lawn sprinkler system where appropriate.
- Clean exterior of chapter house, removing any yard debris or materials that could be used to start a fire, as well as any items stored next to the chapter house. Debris can provide an opportunity for an arsonist.
- Check security and safety lighting for the property.
- Service and clean fireplace and chimney and check for defects or debris.
- A plan to address ice and snow on sidewalks and parking lot needs to be agreed upon by the house corporation and chapter. If all parties are in agreement to contract this service out, this should be completed prior to the first snow.
- Make sure the house has the appropriate tools to remove snow and ice (shovels, ice melt, etc.).
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By J. Dennis Gentzel, P.E., Fire Programs Specialist, US Fire Administration
Every year college and university students experience a growing number of fire-related emergencies. There are several causes for these fires, however, most are due to a general lack of knowledge about fire safety and prevention.
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) offers these tips to help reduce and prevent the loss of life and property in dormitory and university housing fires.
The Facts
In most cases where fire fatalities occurred on college campuses, alcohol was a factor. There is a strong link between alcohol and fire deaths. In more than 50% of adult fire fatalities, victims were under the influence at the time of the fire. Alcohol abuse often impairs judgment and hampers evacuation efforts. Cooking is the leading cause of fire injuries on college campuses, closely followed by careless smoking and arson.
The Cause
Many factors contribute to the problem of dormitory housing fires.
- Improper actions prior to notifying the fire department delays emergency response.
- Student apathy is prevalent. Many are unaware that fire is a risk or threat in the environment.
- Evacuation efforts are hindered since fire alarms are often ignored.
- Building evacuations are delayed due to lack of preparation and preplanning.
- Vandalized and improperly maintained smoke alarms and fire alarm systems inhibit early detection of fires.
- Misuse of cooking appliances, overloaded electrical circuits and extension cords increase the risk of fires.
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Irene, the 9th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season strengthened over Puerto Rico becoming the first hurricane. In addition, based on the current forecast, Irene is poised to come very close to the southeast United States later this week. NOW is the time to start preparing since all hurricanes and tropical storms pose serious threats to property and business revenue stream. The following is a synopsis of loss prevention measures from Willis that you can take to reduce property damage and business downtime from wind and flood.
BEFORE THE STORM
- Review/update business continuity/disaster recovery plan.
- Review procedures with your internal emergency response team to ensure all positions are filled and all members are properly trained.
- Make sure that all of the brothers in the chapter share contact information with each other.
- Make sure the house corporation and chapter advisers have contact information for brothers living in and out of the house.
- Check the general condition of the building – specifically the roof covering, roof flashing and roof drains. Make all necessary repairs.
- Order emergency supplies such as plywood for windows, mops, brooms, tarpaulins for key equipment, sandbags, etc.
- Identify key equipment, stock and supplies, and vital records that will need to be relocated or moved.
- Assemble materials needed to secure outside and/or roof mounted equipment such as cranes, signs, trailers and HVAC equipment.
- Monitor commercial TV, radio and/or internet web sites to keep abreast of weather conditions and issuance of watches and/or warnings.
- Test all generators, emergency lighting, UPS equipment and sump pumps to ensure proper operation.
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Electrical fires in our homes claim the lives of 310 Americans each year and injure 1,100 more. Some of these fires are caused by electrical system failures, but many more are caused by incorrectly installed wiring and overloaded circuits and extension cords.
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) would like consumers to know that there are simple steps you can take to prevent the loss of life and property resulting from electrical fires.
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A wide range of natural disasters occurs within the United States every year. Natural disasters can have a devastating effect on you and your home. The U.S. Fire Administration encourages you to use the following safety tips to help protect yourself, your family and your home from the potential threat of fire during or after a winter storm. You can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a fire casualty by being able to identify potential hazards and following the outlined safety tips.
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Severe Winter Weather Property Risk Control
WEATHER HAZARDS & PRECAUTIONS
Winter weather not only brings freezing temperatures with it, but all the frozen goodies that cause havoc for properties and businesses, such as wind, hail, ice, freezing rain and of course snow! Severe winter weather threatens most of the country at some point, and can result in property damage and business interruption.
What to do? Plan! Businesses can take steps to ensure that severe winter weather does not result in an incident that damages property and leads to a lengthy Business Interruption loss.
This bulletin discusses basic risk control measures to reduce the risk potential for facilities exposed to severe winter weather.
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Halloween is right around the corner. It is a time of fun, thrills and excitement for kids of all ages. Whether your chapter is having a Halloween party or transforming the chapter house into a Haunted House for a charity event, here are a few safety tips:
- Never cover light bulbs with paper or other combustible materials.
- Make sure the floors are clear of snags and trip hazards.
- Make sure the walls are clear of snags and sharp objects.
- Halloween decorations are often very flammable, especially dry cornstalks and paper decorations. The placement of these decorations affects everyone’s safety. Hang Halloween deocrations away from sources of flames or heat, such as candles, light bulbs and heaters. Indoor Halloween candle holders and similiar decorations should be displayed away from other flammable material.
- Jack O’Lanterns are Halloween favorite, but an illuminated gourd can cause a house fire if the candle inside tips over. Try using flashlights or some other battery operated light specifically designed for Jack O’Lanterns.
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As the end of the school year approaches, students’ minds are on final exams, pick-up basketball games and spending time in the sun—not property management. However, the summer months can be a time that chapter houses are at risk for serious claims. Properly preparing the house for the summer break period can minimize the risk of losses.
