Questar III is one of 112 Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and school districts in the state to receive the 2011 School Safety Excellence Award from the Utica National Insurance Group.
Utica National officials presented the award to Questar III’s Health and Safety Director Craig Hansen at its 31st annual school safety seminar in Saratoga on April 11. Questar III received a plaque from the insurance company to commemorate the organization’s safety efforts.
“Safety and health concerns are a priority in our school districts. Whether we are parents seeing our child off on the school bus, teachers charged with the responsibility of educating, or staff who maintain the facility, there is a common thread of attention to safety issues,” said program initiator and Regional Manager – Risk Management Department James Kristoff. “It is with great pleasure that we recognize those schools that not only take safety to heart, but go above and beyond to provide a safe, healthy, and focused culture for learning.”
Utica National’s School Safety Excellence Award Program helps participating schools and BOCES enhance their overall safety through measurable assessment. The program evaluates school districts and BOCES on several categories, from playground safety to indoor air quality, with specific, quantifiable data-gathering surveys.
Questar III Chief Operating Officer L. Jeffrey Baltes thanked the Health & Safety staff for their work. “This award is the result of exceptional leadership on Craig Hansen’s part—assuring that the organization is aware of safety issues affecting both our staff and students and that we are assuring not only compliance with current regulations but that we are proactive with respect to emerging issues and requirements,” said Baltes.
In addition to Questar III, several local school districts were also recognized including Averill Park, Brunswick, Cairo-Durham, Chatham, Coxsackie-Athens, East Greenbush, Greenville, Hudson and Schodack.
