Warsaw Receives IPEP Grant

The Indiana Public Employers’ Plan Inc. announced the city of Warsaw was a recipient of its 2022 safety grant award. Byron Kauffman and Missy Mitchell, of Wetzel Insurance Agency, presented a $1,650 safety grant award to Mike Wilson, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, during the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting Friday. Pictured (L to R) are, front row: Mitchell, Kauffman, Wilson; back row: Board of Works members Mayor Joe Thallemer, George Clemens and City Councilman Jeff Grose. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

Indiana Public Employers Plan (IPEP) announced the city of Warsaw was a recipient of its 2022 safety grant award.

At the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting on Friday, Byron Kauffman and Missy Mitchell, of Wetzel Insurance Agency, presented a $1,650 grant check to Mike Wilson, representing the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory.

Reading a press release for the grant, Mayor Joe Thallemer said IPEP is proud to partner with WWFT Assistant Fire Chief Aaron Bolinger, along with Kauffman and Mitchell, to “maximize opportunities to promote a safe work environment and assist with stretching their risk management resources.”

The grant funds will be used to purchase safety equipment or safety training programs that will reduce or limit workers’ compensation exposure.

IPEP was created in 1989 as a risk-sharing pool for public entities as a response to the need for public employers to find affordable workers’ compensation coverage, the release states. IPEP has grown to provide workers’ compensation claims administration for more than 700 public entities, including cities, towns, counties and schools.

After receiving the check, Wilson said, “This is huge. This really helps our assistant chief, Aaron Bolinger, continue his OSHA training so that he can take that and provide that to all the employees inside the city. This is really awesome for us and we really appreciate it.”

Thallemer gave Kauffman and Wetzel Insurance Agency a special thank you “for promotion of that award. I know our guys work hard and we appreciate the recognition, so thank you.”