Bellingham Boosts IT Infrastructure with $9,263 Grant from Mass. Interlocal Insurance Association

In July, Bellingham was awarded a $9,263 grant from the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA), the town’s property and casualty insurance provider, to fund information technology (IT) upgrades that help safeguard data, ensure the continuous operations of services, and protect the town against evolving cyber threats. 

“Funds from this grant allowed us to update our IT systems and fiber connections, ensuring our network connectivity and providing a more secure cyber environment,” said Karen Dutil, Bellingham’s IT Director. “Bellingham now has an updated IT infrastructure and a new level of protections against cybercrimes – benefiting our residents, staff, and taxpayers and creating additional liability protections.”

For the 2024 fiscal year, MIIA awarded $1 million to fund over 150 grant requests from its members for loss prevention, risk management and safety activities and equipment, including items such as infrared cameras and moisture and temperature sensors, as well as efforts to enhance cyber security with assessments, training, and software solutions, among other initiatives.

“MIIA commends Bellingham for its efforts to mitigate risk, protect property and people, and prevent financial losses,” said Stan Corcoran, MIIA Executive Vice President. “Through our grant program, we’re proud to partner with our members to identify common areas where we typically see insurance claims and provide solutions that lead to effectively mitigating these losses.” 

The Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association is the non-profit insurance arm of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. As a member-based organization, MIIA’s focus is to provide excellent service and quality risk management solutions to nearly 400 cities, towns, and other public entities in Massachusetts. For more information, please visit https://www.emiia.org/and www.mma.org.