ASSIST - Associated Security Services and Investigators of the State of Texas

3300 Bee Caves Road ï¿½ Suite 650-119 ï¿½ Austin, TX 78746 ï¿½ Phone (832) 274-1079

The Success Story Continues as members of the El Dorado/ASSIST Workers’ Compensation Purchasing Group earn dividends for the 6th consecutive year

The Success Story Continues as members of the El Dorado/ASSIST Workersï¿½ Compensation Purchasing Group earn dividends for the 6th consecutive year!
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Fallen Officers
Fund

Goal $150,000

Currently:
$88,958.45

ï¿½ Donations
ï¿½ Disbursements

THE ASSIST BOARD

President
Bob Burt

Exec. Vice President
Walt Roberts

Vice President
Alan Trevino

State Treasurer
Denise Nicholson

State Secretary
Michael McGregor

Regions Coordinator
Susan Griswold

Past President
Dan Flores

Central Texas Region President
Charlie Deckert

El Paso Region President
Jessie Ruelas

Gulf Coast Region President
Ruben Amaya

North Texas Region President
Kathy McReynolds

Rio Grande Valley Region President
Jaime Ochoa

South Texas Alamo Region President
James Prock

News & Events Committee Chairman
Dave Scepanski

Member Services Director
Lauren Oakley

Webmaster
Dave Scepanski

Home

Emergencies/Disasters - Companies Available
Updated Jul-29-10

By-Laws - Ethics - Mission
Updated May-20-11

ASSIST Board Minutes
Updated Feb-10-11

ASSIST Board Members
Updated Jul-29-10

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

ASSIST REGIONS:
ï¿½ CENTRAL TEXAS
ï¿½ EL PASO
ï¿½ GULF COAST
ï¿½ NORTH TEXAS
ï¿½ RIO GRANDE VALLEY
ï¿½ SOUTH TEXAS ALAMO

History of ASSIST
Updated Feb-1-06

Assault Against a Security Officer
Updated Jun-9-10

Fallen Officers Fund
Updated Feb-1-11

Companies Operating Illegally
Coming Soon

Managing Security Today
UPDATED Jun-29-11

Lobbyist for ASSIST
Updated Sep-16-10

Past Conventions
Updated Jun-15-11

Help Wanted
Updated Apr-25-06

Texas Mutual Insurance
Updated Dec-27-04

Lifetime Members
Updated Oct-7-09

Honorary Members
Updated Oct-8-04

Online Member Database

Articles & Press Releases
UPDATED Jun-29-11

ASSIST MEMBERSHIP

Member Services

Who Has the Trophy?

Dave's Corner
Updated Aug-25-09

Discussion Board

LEAPS Chapters:
-Dallas
-El Paso
-Houston (Coming Soon)

Helpful Links
Updated Jan-14-06

Entering into ï¿½Riskyï¿½ Contracts

By Josh Ring / EL DORADO INSURANCE AGENCY

A RECENT PHENOMENON of the current economic situation has been security companies entertaining contracts that they would normally look to avoid. The lack of new work, reduced hours at current job sites and slow-paying customers are forcing security company owners to explore additional sources of revenue in order to keep their companies afloat.

While Iï¿½m certainly not going to suggest that any firm operating in Texas rolls over and allows themselves to go ï¿½belly up,ï¿½ there are factors that need to be weighed when taking on additional (and potentially more risky) contracts.

First and foremost, make certain to verify that your insurance policy does not specifically exclude coverage for the type of work being entertained. Most insurance policies for security companies have exclusions that deny the company coverage in occasions where certain work is being performed.

For instance, the most prevalent exclusion on policies is for ï¿½bars, nightclubs, taverns and similar establishments.ï¿½ It is my experience that most company ownerï¿½s are aware of this exclusion and will look to avoid these contracts if the exclusion is found on their policy. However, there may be additional exclusions that you should be aware of before entering into a work agreement. If you are unsure, my advice in this situation is to speak with your insurance professional with regards to the coverage on your policy. They will be well versed in the exclusions and should be able to advise if the contract you are entertaining would be covered in the event of a claim.

The second, and less obvious factor that should be considered is your overall client portfolio. With respects to an insurance carrier, certain operations performed by a security contractor are considered more risky than others. These operations may not be explicitly excluded by your policy but could have a negative impact on your underwriting at the time of renewal.

This negative impact could come in the form of increased premiums or additional restrictions placed by the underwriter. Additionally, and equally as important could be the deterioration of your loss ratio. With riskier operations certainly comes the increased exposure to claims.

As we all know, when claims start to occur, an insurance carrier will take a very hard look at the policyholder at the time of renewal to determine their profitability and pricing strategy for the coming year.

Again I stress that engaging your insurance broker in this situation is extremely important and beneficial in both the short and long term. Your broker will be able to offer insight as to what contracts might be best to avoid if at all possible so that your company maintains a ï¿½cleanï¿½ profile as viewed by an insurance carrier.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, neither your insurance broker nor your carrier is on the front-lines working to keep their security company in business. It is up to each individual company owner to decide what risks they are willing to take and accept the potential consequences of those choices. However, by enlisting the expertise of your insurance professional, you will be able to make the most informed decision possible.

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