Updates - 12/03/2009
"Hybrid Auto Safety" One of Latest Online Safety Training Videos Available to Member Counties
The Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Corporation (County Mutual) has announced the release of Hybrid Auto Safety, the latest in their online safety training video series available to member counties.
As with all County Mutual online safety training modules, Hybrid Auto Safety is available online to member counties and incorporates text slides, along with streaming video and audio, which guides users through the training. At the end of the module, participants take a multiple choice quiz.
“Because hybrids are relatively new and operate differently than traditional vehicles, there is a lot of misinformation about what features they have that could be of concern in an emergency situation,” said John Dirkse, Executive Vice President of Aegis Corporation, the general administrator of the County Mutual. “This online safety training module provides facts about the safety of these vehicles and what our law enforcement and emergency responders should and should not do to assist in the event of an accident.”
The video addresses remote keyless entry on hybrid autos, as well as airbag and submerged vehicle issues on both hybrid and standard automobiles.
According to the County Mutual, there are common misconceptions with hybrid vehicles. One incorrect assumption is that emergency personnel or bystanders assisting at the scene of an accident can be electrocuted if the auto is touching a metal object such as a guard rail. Also, hybrid vehicles are silent and it can be misconstrued that the car is in the “off” position, when it could actually still be in drive.
Member counties of the County Mutual can access Hybrid Auto Safety by visiting www.wisconsincountymutual.org and clicking on “Online Safety Training.”
Users are then prompted to enter in their pre-assigned user name and password. Each county has an administrator of the program and this person could include the county’s insurance contact or other administrative staff at the county’s choosing. The training administrator is the person that will assign log-ins for use with the online training.
“Our loss control staff makes over 500 on-site visits and conducts safety seminars around the state every year,” said Dirkse. “Hybrid Auto Safety and our entire online safety training program is another way we deliver our strong risk management philosophy to our member counties. This online method allows our county employees to train in an environment that is convenient, while providing them with critical safety information that can keep them safer on the job.”
“The County Mutual and its county members have a long history of working together to ensure our employees are well trained and operating safely on the job,” says Jon H. Hochkammer, Director of Insurance Operations for the County Mutual. “This timely training module demonstrates our deep commitment to risk management for our member counties.”
The Wisconsin Counties Association, along with county officials from around the state, created the Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Corporation in 1987 to provide quality liability insurance substantially at cost to its members. Three-quarters of the 72 counties in the state are covered by the County Mutual.
For more information on Hybrid Auto Safety; the online safety training program or any other risk management services offered to County Mutual member counties, contact John Dirkse of Aegis Corporation at 800.236.6885 or Jon Hochkammer of the Wisconsin Counties Association at 877.404.2700