AED Could Have Prevented Tragedy: A 16-year-old high school basketball player had just made a game-winning shot in overtime when he suddenly collapsed to the floor. Initially, parents, coaches, and players thought it was due to exhaustion or just the excitement of the moment, but they all quickly realized something much more serious had happened.

Reality Alert: A summer camp experienced severe damage after a storm caused several large trees to fall. One tree landed on and destroyed a cabin and another tree struck the dining hall and caused major damage.

Fire Extinguisher Mistakes: While on a site visit in downtown Milwaukee, a West Bend loss control associate recognized a fire extinguisher in a restaurant kitchen indicating it had been discharged. This was puzzling because the fire extinguisher had been serviced only a few weeks before.

Reality Alert: A severe thunderstorm caused a facility to lose power for several days. While the facility was prepared with a standby generator, they ran out of fuel due to the length of the power outage.

Reality Alert: A fire completely burned a vacant building to the ground and caused severe damage to several adjacent buildings. Neighbors of the property had complained to the building owner about trash being left in front of the building, and police had recently discovered homeless people living in the vacant property.

A crisis can range from a drowning or medical emergency, to allegations of abuse or a violent intruder. In these unexpected situations it’s important to have a concrete communication plan in place. A well-designed communication plan can mitigate some of the damage and protect your organization from financial and reputational ruin.

Reality Alert: A sewer backup caused the lower level of a childcare facility to flood. Six inches of water resulted in extensive damage.

Exculpatory agreements, commonly referred to as waivers or releases, are documents that protect businesses and individuals from claims arising from negligence. Businesses with unique liability exposures often find they cannot operate profitably without the protection afforded by these agreements.

Real Life Claims: A caregiver suffered a severely fractured wrist after rushing to the aid of a seizing, developmentally disabled teen wearing a bicycle helmet. As the women attempted to support the victim’s head, her wrist was slammed violently into the pavement.