BLD_2019_twitter_fill_graphic
BLD_2019_twitter_fill_graphic
BLD_2019_twitter_fill_graphic
BLD_2019_twitter_fill_graphic
BLD_2019_twitter_fill_graphic

12 Things Active Shooter Insurance Should Cover (BOMA 2019)

June 24, 2019

McGowan Program Administrators talks with BUILDINGS at BOMA 2019 about active shooter insurance – specifically, helping victims recover after an event. Find out what facilities managers and building owners need to know.

In the aftermath of an active shooter event, most insurance companies do not step in until victims sue the facility or building owner—which can be painful for victims and potentially expensive for building owners.

At the 2019 BOMA International Conference & Expo, McGowan Program Administrators spoke with BUILDINGS on the show floor about what to look for when purchasing active shooter insurance and the need for a crisis management component.

“If you were to have an active shooter event at your facility, do you know the protocol of what your existing insurance policy would cover?” asks Paul Marshall, managing director of the active shooter and workplace violence division of McGowan Program Administrators. “My hunch is it would not respond to the victims. It would have to wait for the lawsuits [to come in], which we don’t want to happen.”

Prepare, Respond, Recover

McGowan Program Administrators helps underwrite insurance for building owners and managers in the event of an active shooter in order to help the facility and community prepare, respond and recover. Marshall adds that recovery is a major component—from providing trauma counseling to paying for funeral expenses and medical bills.

[Related: Active Shooter Drills: An Eye-Opening Encounter]

Recovery also can include fixing property damage or refurbishing a space, which often comes with an emotional need. In the aftermath of the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech, the school spent about $3.2 million to refurbish the site of the incident.

“They didn’t have to but felt they needed to in order to have people feel comfortable,” Marshall says.

Most standard coverage policies do not provide response for an active shooter event, he adds, such as increased security that may be needed afterward and business income loss. Your building might need to close due to injuries or even death. Relocation might be necessary. Marshall says your policy might not pay unless there was physical damage to your building or its contents.

McGowan’s Active Shooter/Workplace Violence Insurance covers such liabilities and extra expenses tied to attacks with firearms, knives, vehicles or other types of violence. The policy also considers all classes of business, including but not limited to:

  • Government agencies
  • Education
  • Religious institutions
  • Hospitality
  • Entertainment
  • Retail
  • Public entities

12 Things Your Active Shooter Insurance Should Include

When purchasing an active shooter policy, Marshall notes that the policy should include 12 items, according to McGowan’s Buyer’s Guide: Active Shooter Insurance.

  1. Third party liability coverage that includes damages, monetary awards and settlements.
  2. Primary other insurance clause.
  3. No exclusion for terrorism.
  4. No exclusion for under three casualties.
  5. No exclusion for over 50 casualties.
  6. No exclusion for act of burglary/theft.
  7. Crisis response services pre-approved and paid by insurance carrier.
  8. Security vulnerability assessment included.
  9. Safety action plan seminar/webinar included.
  10. Crisis response management hot line included.
  11. Crisis counseling included.
  12. Funeral expense included.

Marshall advises building owners and facilities managers to work through their existing insurance brokers/professionals on an active shooter policy, or visit McGowan’s website for a quote on its active shooter insurance policy.

More BOMA 2019 Coverage:

About the Author

Sarah Kloepple | Associate Editor

Sarah joined the BUILDINGS team as an associate editor in August 2018. She is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, where her focus was magazine writing. She's written and edited for numerous publications in her hometown of St. Louis.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Buildings, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

INFOGRAPHIC: Unlocking the Value of a Smart Building

How do you make a smart building even smarter? Download the Infographic below to discover what happened when one customer used AI-enabled building technology to achieve their ...

Streamline & Enhance Inspection Process in Order to Save Money & Expedite Repairs

Download the case study to learn how to streamline inspections, save money, and expedite repairs.

Building Security & Technology Month

This special collaborative series will consist of the four one-hour events below, as well as an Executive Summary Digital eBook distributed to all readers that will be available...

Elevator Emergency Communication Code Compliance: Must-Knows

You probably know that elevator code is anything but straightforward, which isn't ideal when noncompliance can result in massive liabilities. What's more? Recent code updates ...