Insurance and Risk Management Disaster Planning
Prepare Now for What Could Be a Real Disaster in the Future
As a service to other students, the ISU and Terre Haute communities and Indiana colleges and universities, Gamma Iota Sigma [1] (the national collegiate actuarial, insurance, and risk management society) has compiled a series of steps to take en route to safeguarding your personal possessions in the event of a future disaster. In light of the recent (Jan. 27) fire in Blumberg Hall at ISU, Gamma wanted to provide tips on disaster preparedness for families who may have college-age students or soon-to-be college-bound students as well as for college-aged students to know.
Please help us spread the word so others can learn of these important steps and implement them at home:
Family Disaster Planning
- Call your home owners insurance agent to see if your policy has adequate coverage for your home.
- Call your home owners insurance agent to see if your policy provides coverage for your children while at college. If the insurance coverage is inadequate, look into purchasing student renter’s insurance.
- Take an inventory of personal possessions. Take pictures or a video of your personal possessions. This will allow your insurance company to efficiently analyze what would be lost in a disaster.
- Keep any receipts/paperwork you may have of major purchases (automobiles, collectibles, electronics, jewelry, etc.).
- Make sure you keep a hard copy of these records in a separate location. Safety deposit boxes work great!
- Keep an electronic copy of all inventory/receipt records so hard copies can be produced if necessary.
- Create a disaster plan for your family. Make sure your family knows emergency escape routes and a specific meeting point during a disaster. Create a phone chain so people know your family is uninjured
- Practice home emergency drills with your family.
Student Disaster Planning
- Parents need to call their home owners insurance agent to see if their policy provides coverage for their children while at college.
*If the insurance coverage is inadequate, look into purchasing student renter’s insurance.
- Take an inventory of personal possession
*Take pictures or a video of your dorm room or apartment. This will allow your insurance company to efficiently analyze what would be lost in a disaster.
- Keep any receipts you may have of major purchases (text books, electronics, jewelry, etc.).
- *Make sure you keep a hard copy of these records in a separate location (parents’ home, safety deposit box, etc.).
Keep an electronic copy of all inventory/receipt records so hard copies can be produced if necessary.
Things you need to know when Reporting Claims
- Date of loss
- Type of loss/damage (fire, flood, etc.)
- Location of loss
- Any injuries?
- Others involved
- Condition of property
- Description of damaged contents (itemized list, photos, etc.)
- Was the loss reported to police?
Membership in ISU's Alpha Epsilon chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma at Indiana State University offers students a chance to interact with industry, listen to interesting guest speakers, build a community with fellow students, and acquire leadership experience. For more information about Gamma, contact Gerald Smith, 2007-08 President, at 317-525-4067.
For a faculty expert on this topic from ISU's insurance and risk management program, please contact Dr. Mary Ann Boose, faculty advisor for Gamma and professor and program coordinator for the IRM program, at 812-237-2106.