Since my days of scabbed knees and running nose, that aged portly man has managed to thwart my efforts of physical security. Every December 25th I’d wake up to the glimmer of wrapping paper draped by twinkling illuminations, the half eaten cookies and gnawed carrots. With an anxious laugh, my brother and I would yell to our parents. “Come on, hurry up! Its Christmas!”

We were all so excited by the deliveries of trains, trucks, bikes and the occasional socks that I always forgot the confusion of why Dad would allow a stranger into our house. The house was my inner sanctum, my place of refuge. It’s where I kept my most prized possessions – the #1 Star Wars comic, my Cream tapes and SuperFriends action figures.

January arrived and the dizzying days of play dwindled. My mind would wander and soon my worrisome demeanor would ask, “How could my parents just allow some guy to enter our house at night while we all slept?” What about “don’t talk to strangers” and “don’t answer the door when you are home alone”. I slept at night, bundled in my Scooby Doo jammies while my parents knowingly allowed someone to risk his own life on our property to shimmy his way down our chimney. Did my parents have a copy of his updated liability insurance? What about a NDA, resume or background check? I looked thru my dads filing drawers. Nothing. Nothing marked, Santa or Chris Krinkgle. Not even a “related:Christmas” query resulted a hint.

I’m now grown up a bit. Many years of school, certifications, training and security experience has taught me one thing – risk management. So Santa, if you plan on coming to my house this year, please read agree to and sign the below insurance rider. You can leave your signed copy by the tree.

Insurance Rider

Santa (“Contractor”) shall obtain from an insurance company or companies having a Best’s Financial Performance Rating (“FPR”) of A/A- and a minimum Financial Size Category (“FSG”) of IX and maintain in force during the term of this Agreement:

(a) Workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance sufficient to meet statutory liability limits in the state wherein the work is to be performed and with employers’ liability minimum limits of $1,000,000 for each employee for bodily injury by accident and $1,000,000 for each employee for bodily injury by disease.

(b) Commercial General Liability alone or in combination with, Commercial Umbrella insurance (“Occurrence” coverage) in the following minimum amounts:

General Aggregate: $2,000,000
Each Occurrence: $1,000,000
Premises, operations, independent contractors: $2,000,000
Each Occurrence: $1,000,000
Personal and Advertising Injury: $2,000,000
Medical Expense: Minimum of $5,000 per occurrence.
Fire Expense: Minimum of $100,000 per occurrence
Commercial Umbrella insurance per occurrence $2,000,000

(c) Business Automobile Liability: insurance alone or in combination with Commercial Umbrella insurance covering any auto, or sled, (including owned, hired and non-owned autos) with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 each accident.

(d) Contractor will name ____________ including its subsidiaries and affiliates, directors, officers and employees as an additional insured on Contractor’s Commercial General Liability policy, Business Auto, and Commercial Umbrella.

Thanks.
Oh and Santa, I’d like a new PS3 for Christmas.

Have a great holiday.
--S