NU Online News Service, March 12, 1:29 p.m.EST

St. Patrick's Day parades and other festivities may meanentertainment for the public, but for municipal risk managers theyrepresent a need for pre-planning, coordination and contractualrisk transfer, said an insurance expert.

Bruce Lunning, Travelers senior risk control liabilityspecialist, explained that "pre-planning of an event is crucial foridentifying possible exposure and risks."

He said small cities and towns should be in control of allcelebration aspects including planning the parade routes andtraining any volunteers working at the event about what activitiesare allowed.

According to Mr. Lunning, a written checklist can ensure thatall areas are being addressed. Additionally, this list providesdocumentation for future reference.

Coordination during the planning process with law enforcement,the fire department, medical providers, emergency service personneland other groups can help reduce liability, he said.

Festivities, he noted, will often include active involvement ofcontractors, vendors and concessionaires as well. Municipalitiesshould therefore consider risk transfer, insurance requirements andpermits as crucial points of risk management.

"Vendors of beverages and food should be required to have theproper licenses and permits for compliance with local ordinancesand regulations, especially if they sell alcoholic beverages," Mr.Lunning advised.

It's critical to address risk transfer in these situations,requiring the contractor to provide evidence of insurance coverageand naming the municipality as an "additional insured," hesaid.

The municipality should require limits adequate for theexposures presented by the particular event. A contractor whoprovides fireworks, for example, should be required to have higherlimits than a small music ensemble as the exposure is greater, Mr.Lunning explained.

These important risk control considerations should go into theplanning and execution of every special event. Identifyingexposures prior to the event and coordinating with key players toensure that insurance requirements are met can result in a city'ssuccessful St. Patrick's Day, he counseled.