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About Risk Management

Director
Hamlin Road Multi-Use Facility
1817 Hamlin Road
Durham, NC 27704
Phone: (919) 560-3829
Fax: (919) 471-6934

Durham Public Schools Risk Management Services administers district-wide programs that help keep students, employees, and visitors safe. We identify risks and plan for the unexpected. Our department works closely with employees, students, parents and Community Partners to provide healthful educational and work environments.

Through training, we help administrators, teachers, support staff and maintenance personnel understand and follow federal, state and local regulations that help ensure everyone's safety and health. We expect the unexpected, and have a strong focus on emergency preparedness. We help individual schools prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies, including insurance issues.

Risk Management Department Menu

Practice Hurricane Safety!

Be prepared. It's hurricane season. Ten years ago, Hurricane Fran caused serious damage in our area.

FEMA offers hurricane guidelines for what to do before, during and after a hurricane, as well as educational material about hurricane forecasts and naming.

During the 2005-2006 school year, principals, teachers, counselors, school resource officers and after-school managers representing 34 schools received Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT) training by June 2006.

Durham Public Schools was the first school system in North Carolina to provide this essential training. Read more about this program.

New from this Department

Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant

The United States Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, has awarded a $250,000 grant to Durham Public Schools to strengthen emergency response and crisis management plans. Durham Public Schools is one of seven school districts in North Carolina, and one of 100 districts nationwide, to receive this funding.

Grant funding will provide staffing and personnel to support training for staff members, parents, and students to increase the capacity of schools to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies; and to increase communication, planning and involvement with students, parents, employees, and community partners in the district’s plans for emergency management.

The proposal was a partnership effort among DPS, the Durham County Office of the Sheriff, the Durham Police Department, the Durham County Health Department, Emergency Management/Fire Marshal’s Office, The Durham Center, and the Durham Chapter of the American Red Cross, Emergency Services Division. All agencies signed a partnership agreement outlining specific roles and responsibilities for each organization.

Criteria for the award included having a strong commitment to building community partnerships, coordination with the State’s Homeland Security Plan, addressing the needs of all populations, and an intention to review, practice, revise and update the plan to reflect what works, what doesn’t and address emerging crises.

Programs

Insurance Programs:

Manages district processes related to self-insured programs which includes but not limited to, property, comprehensive and general liability, automobile physical damage and liability, workers’ compensation, student accident and other supplemental insurance coverage.

Risk Management and Loss Control:

Directs and administers system efforts to identify, minimize or eliminate district risk exposures within the areas of general liabilities, health and safety, property losses, employee workplace injures, motor fleet operations, public risk factors, environmental affairs, and other system resources.

Workers’ Compensation:

Manages self-insured program to ensure that eligible employees receive immediate and adequate medical evaluation and treatment for work related injuries as required by North Carolina Industrial Commission and other laws. Coordinates and administers the system’s job recovery and return to work initiative.

Health and Safety:

Provides and maintains a safe and healthy environment for students and staff that include state and local regulatory compliance, employee safety training, and school inspections.

Emergency Preparedness:

Developed to help schools prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

Environmental Management:

Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal environmental regulations related to fuel storage, asbestos containing building materials in older school buildings, and indoor air quality.

Life Safety Management:

Physical inspections and program development to ensure that building systems (EXIT signs, EXIT doors, EXIT corridors, fire alarm systems, and fire extinguishers) are maintained in accordance with State and local fire codes.

Hazardous Materials/Waste Management:

Developed to protect employees and students from hazards associated with products and materials containing hazardous chemicals.

Motor Fleet Management:

Effective management of a transportation and vehicle safety program that includes driver training, vehicle inspections, and claims management.

Quick Links

Federal Emergency Management Agency - www.fema.gov/kids/teacher.htm
On Line Safety Rules for Students - http://www.fema.gov/kids/on_safety.htm
American Red Cross – www.redcross.org
Flu Facts - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm
Environmental Protection Agency’s “Tools for Schools” (regarding asthma and environment) http://www.epa.gov/iaq/index.html

Driving Directions

Traveling North on I-85 (going towards Virginia):

Take the N Roxboro Street/US-15-BYP/US-501-BYP exit (Exit 177) toward Avondale Drive. Turn left onto US-15 BR/US-501 BR/N Roxboro Street. Continue to follow US-501 BR/N Roxboro Street. Turn slight right onto Old Oxford Road. Turn right onto Hamlin Road. Go approximately one mile and the building is on the left.

Traveling South on I-85 (coming from Virginia):

Take Exit 182 (Red Mill Road). At the bottom of the exit, turn left. Go about 2 miles and turn left at Chewning Middle School onto Hamlin Road. Go another 2 - 2 1/2 miles and turn right into the DPS Warehouse.

From the DPS Staff Development Center:

Turn left as you exit the parking lot at SDC. Take a right at the first light onto to Carver Street. Go to the third light and turn right onto Roxboro Road. Go to fourth light and turn left onto to Old Oxford Highway. Go to third light and turn right onto Hamlin Road. Go 1 mile and turn left into the first brick- building parking lot after you've gone 1 mile. Circle around to the right side of the building.

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