For over 30+ years, the Public Entities Pool of Ohio has been a consistent leader as a local government risk-sharing pool that provides comprehensive and responsive solutions.
With the emergence of coronavirus (COVID-19), PEP is responding to this serious public health risk to help our Members respond by providing financial resources that focus concurrently on aiding our Members in lessening the spread and impact of this virus in their communities.
Implementation of community measures to slow the spread and transmission of COVID-19 at the local level requires extensive community engagement.
Based on the scope of the outbreak and the severity of illness, many communities are needing to purchase items not currently in their budgets, but relating to the coronavirus disease, including additional cleaning products, disinfectants, and personal protection equipment such as gloves and masks. Communities may also have the additional expense of hiring substitute staff members to fill in for those who are ill or quarantined with the coronavirus.
This Just In:
PEP Members who have not yet applied for a PEP+ Grant this year can apply for and receive automatic approval for funds up to $1,000 to be used towards COVID-19 related expenses in your ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of the virus in public spaces and to protect your citizens from becoming infected.
Approved Expenses:
Some automatically approved expenses include, but are not limited to:
- Solvents and agents for the cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and objects
- Extra expenses associated with disinfection and testing of Member property (i.e. firehouse) and/or emergency vehicles (i.e. ambulance).
- Disposable gloves, face masks and other such similar items
- Clothing, towels, linens and other items purchased to effectively clean and disinfect
- Hand sanitizer
If you have questions about how to protect yourself and prepare for COVID-19 in your community, there are various resources available at your fingertips with related content that can provide answers.
Opening back up:
Sales & Risk Control
We are committed to continuing to provide risk control services to our membership during this COVID-19 outbreak, while adhering to the recommended CDC guidelines. To meet our members' evolving needs, we have developed service offerings and resources to help you get back to business.
Once areas have been identified that need improvement, contact us, and we can assist with providing recommendations and help you through the next steps. As an additional option, our risk control team can personally provide a more formal, thorough consultative service onsite or virtually, reviewing the necessary processes for dealing with future diagnosed cases, exposures and absence issues. This service also includes an evaluation of proper physical controls such as personal protective equipment and office design to address social distancing.
We are flexible in the way we can provide risk control services, which can be modified to meet your needs. If you prefer not to meet in person, we can conduct an unguided assessment of your grounds and properties, a virtual assessment through a video walk-through or a personal phone call.
If have questions about any of the offerings or resources PEP offers, please contact your sales & risk control representative for assistance. They are working diligently to respond to special requests, answer questions and provide assistance with the Resource eLibrary (visit www.pepohio.org and click "Resource eLibrary" to access).
Don't forget this valuable resource!
Legal Access
877-250-5545
Have an issue and not sure what to do? Utilize PEP's Legal Access Hotline. Every Member of PEP is eligible to receive up to 90 minutes of free legal consultation per year! Examples of legal consultation include: Human Resources, Zoning & Land Use and Open Records/Open Meetings.
An independent team of legal professionals is ready and available to professionally and promptly support and service the legal inquiries of PEP members.
PEP's Resource eLibrary
Don't forget that PEP Members have access to thousands of resources to contain liability exposures as well as assist with any Risk Management needs. Members have access to these resources 24/7 from the convenience of their own personal electronic device (phone, tablet, laptop or desktop).
With regard to COVID-19, we have recently expanded the library to include the following resources in their respective categories. Navigate to each bubble, once logged in the library to find!
Documents
State of Ohio COVID-19 Helpful Tips including:
- Open Meetings
- Information Technology & Cyber Security Recommendations
- Expanded Paid Sick Leave and FMLA for COVID-19
- And other COVID-19 resources
Public Entity University
- COVID-19: A Pandemic Response
- 8 Tips for Working from Home
- Practicing Hand Hygiene
- Family Medical Leave Act
- Emergency Communication in the Workplace
Human Resources
ALL NEW! Emergency & Disaster Response Plan: Emergencies and disasters strike when it's least expected (COVID-19), and they can be catastrophic to employers. Be prepared for the unexpected. Follow these steps to ensure your organization is ready and able to respond when disaster strikes. Log in to the Human Resources platform, within the Resource eLibrary, to walk through these three simple steps.
- Immediate Response and Communication
- Maintaining Business Continuity
- Recovery and Return to Work
To access the eLibrary, please visit:
We Are In This Together
The success of our program, and at its foundation for over 30 years, is the partnership we share with PEP Members and we are proud and privileged to serve you. We will continue to communicate with you throughout the duration of the crisis and provide support services as we continue to build stronger communities together.
Please visit www.pepohio.org for further updates on services and resources