What’s New: In Brief (October 05, 2006)

When Fire Prevention Week officially kicks-off in Oromocto on Oct. 7, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) will be making two special presentations to show support for New Brunswick’s 4,100 volunteer and 535 career firefighters.As part of the opening ceremonies, Bill Adams, the regional director of the IBC’s ‘Be Smart. Be Safe.’ campaign, will present a $20,000 donation to the New Brunswick Associations of Fire Chiefs and Fire Prevention Officers. The donation will be made in support of the Alarmed Ready program that provides free smoke alarms and batteries to homes in the province.In addition, Adams will announce the donation of Hazard Houses to acting fire marshal Benoit Laroche. “A Hazard House is a highly effective teaching aid developed by fire chiefs and fire prevention officers to teach the public how to prevent hazards in and around the home,” Adams said. “The fire departments in New Brunswick are very active in fire prevention and education and we are thrilled that they can include the Hazard Houses in their community outreach programs to help demonstrate a variety of important fire prevention and safety messages to children and families.”Each day, about 6,000 Canadians are injured and almost 40 die as a result of their injuries. In addition to the loss of life, pain and emotional trauma they cause, these injuries cost Canadians an estimated CD$14.7 billion every year in health-care expenses and lost productivity.

In partnership with the International Center for Captive Insurance Education (ICCIE), the Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) is introducing a new, three-part Web conference series titled “Business Ethics in the Captive Insurance Industry.”The series is designed to train risk managers about the legal and ethical issues related to business practices in the captive insurance industry. The first Web conference in the series will take place on Nov. 28, followed by Web conferences on Dec. 11 and Dec. 14, from 2:30-3:45 p.m. (EST).”Corporate ethics is an important issue for business leaders, especially in light of increased regulatory guidelines and high-profile scandals such as Enron,” ICCIE executive director Mitch Cantor said in a press release. “This course examines the impact on the captive insurance market. RIMS recognizes the importance of this topic and aims to share it with its members.”The conference will explore scenarios and case studies helping participants to identify areas in the captive industry with potential ethical conflicts, as well as suggest ways to resolve them. Issues to be discussed include the impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on ethical practices in the captive industry, as well as the role and responsibilities of the CEO, board directors, audit committee, outside service providers, actuary, and legal group in this new environment. Facilitating discussions on the program are Dan Labrie, ARM, president and CEO of Housing Authority Insurance Group, and Kathy Davis, deputy managing partner and chief operating officer of Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC.The Web courses offer credit towards the RIMS Fellow (RF) designation, which is the professional development credential granted by RIMS for the experienced risk professional.