A recent IG report found that the General Services Administration (GSA) has not set or maintained expectations for federal law enforcement agencies regarding the storage of illegal drugs, firearms, and ammunition and the transportation of detainees in buildings it owns or leases. 

This lack of guidance may leave federal law enforcement agency personnel vulnerable to mistakes that lead to allegations of wrongdoing, disciplinary action, and even civil lawsuits.

 

Auditors assessed 25 buildings, including 14 federal courthouses, based on previous reports that GSA was not "evaluating, assessing and mitigating” risks arising from activities by federal law enforcement agencies to employees and others in buildings under its control. 

Nearly 90% of the assessed buildings where seized drugs were stored in evidence vaults lacked proper ventilation, and the GSA’s Public Building Service managers did not know the location of more than half of the armories storing ammunition. One secure elevator used to transport detainees had been inoperable for five years. 

These types of high-risk exposures could have severe consequences for employees and others visiting law enforcement agency buildings. First responders should know where all hazardous materials are stored so they can take proper safety precautions in the event of a fire emergency. 

Any agency emergency or loss of life will result in calls for accountability, and agency officials may look to law enforcement personnel to place blame. Allegations and investigations can lead to suspensions, terminations, or personal capacity lawsuits. If an allegation is made against you, it is a necessity, not luxury, to have knowledgeable and effective counsel advocating on your behalf.

As the professional liability insurance (PLI) provider endorsed by the leading federal law enforcement employee associations, FEDS Protection offers federal employee PLI policies with $1 million, $2 million, or $3 million in civil liability protection for attorney’s fees and indemnity costs in the event you are sued in your civil capacity.  The FEDS policy also includes $200,000 of legal representation coverage per incident for administrative actions and $100,000 of coverage for criminal defense costs.  

Annual premiums for FEDS Protection PLI start at $290.  Additionally, federal law enforcement officers, supervisors, and managers are eligible for a reimbursement of up to 50% the cost of their PLI policy through their agency. To learn more about how a FEDS PLI policy can protect you and your career, visit www.fedsprotection.com or call (866) 955-FEDS, M-F 8:30am-6pm to speak directly to a representative.

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*This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

If yes, consider FEDS Protection for your government contracting insurance needs. At FEDS Protection, we also support Federal Contractors by providing insurance coverage specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of today's federal contractors, including Professional Liability, Defense Base Act Insurance, and Foreign Liability coverage.  In our experience, many small businesses need assistance in navigating the insurance portion of a government RFP.

The federal government is our specific focus and area of expertise. If you are looking to review your current or upcoming insurance needs, including the unique insurance requirements of any contract involving civilian employees overseas (requiring DBA Insurance and Foreign Liability coverage) please contact us at 866-955-FEDS (3337) or dmoylan@fedsprotection.com.

FEDS Protection wants to celebrate those who work together from diverse backgrounds that move our country forward. These efforts are not and cannot be made alone. They are completed each day with empathy, energy, and intentionality. While some moments can be awkward, small wins can be awesome.  Regardless, each inclusive action is worth the effort. 

We hope each of you can play a small part in the path toward progress and continue to do so in your own way. We will continue to stand with you in this effort every step of the journey.

"As Executive Director of IDRA, I am committed to bringing all Department of the Interior employees the very best products in continuum with IDRA's mission. Because professional liability insurance coverage is so important to the financial well-being of our employees, I have carefully sought out and selected the FEDS product due, in part, to its commitment to serve federal employees and first-hand knowledge about the exposures facing Interior Department employees. We believe the FEDS professional liability program is superior to all others and have switched our endorsement from another company because of it. We have encouraged all of our members to do the same, as we believe there is no better program or value out there." - NaDine Wright (IDRA)

Contact us if you or your agency are interested in a webinar or brochures that provide federal employees best practices on how to protect themselves with a federal employee professional liability insurance policy like the one offered by FEDS Protection. This benefit is so important, it could be partially reimbursed for many federal employees!

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