Last month we talked about how to improve your risk management portfolio. One of those ways was to attend the Safety Conference. In addition to the Safety Conference, the SDPAA also offers numerous online opportunities for training, live training sessions and access to numerous sample policies and procedures. The South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance continues to offer several opportunities for loss control options to help our Members navigate through these and many other risk management challenges daily. We also continue to review the trends and opportunities for our Members to improve their risk management portfolio.
The South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance partners with the SDML Workers Compensation Fund to sponsor safety awards which are presented to our Members each year. These safety awards recognize those who continually strive to improve their risk management portfolio.
2018 Jim Fjerestad Memorial Safety Leadership Awards
Prior to July 7, 2015 the award was titled the South Dakota Safety and Loss Control Award. In 2014 Jim Fjerestad was the recipient of this award. Jim was an employee offor the City of Brandon, whose passion for safety and loss control spread well beyond the City. Jim recognized that smaller communities would benefit from the information and advice that he was providing the employees in Brandon, and invited employees from those surrounding communities to the City’s safety and loss control meetings. This initiative taken by Jim was selfless and inspiring. Jim passed away July 7, 2015. The award was renamed “The Jim Fjerestad Memorial Safety Leadership Award” to honor the dedication shown by Mr. Fjerestad.
Those interested in nominating someone who exhibits a strong passion for safety and loss control can do so via nominating forms which are found on the Safety Benefits, Inc. website. The time for nominations generally closes in the late summer, as the awards are given to the recipients during the annual conventions which, this year started in September 2018. There are two award winners selected each year, one county and one municipal employee…
This year’s countyOne of this year’s recipients, Doug Blomker, Assistant Emergency Management Director and Safety Committee Chairman for Minnehaha County, was recognized during the SDACC Convention on September 11, 2018. “Doug plays a key role in the county’s Safety Committee. He performs safety audits before and after incidents within the county. The documentation is critical in preventing injuries and losses to the county,” said Minnehaha County Emergency Manager Lynn DeYoung. “He works very hard on the Safety Committee and he is an active member promoting safety county wide.”
Blomker
Doug Blomker receiving his Fjerestad Safety Award from Doug Kirkus, September 11, 2018.
Kimble “Kim” Conwell, Planning and Public Works Technician and Safety Coordinator for the City of Custer was presented the Jim Fjerestad Memorial Safety Leadership Award on October 3rd at the South Dakota Municipal League Convention in Pierre, SD. “Kim assists in multiple areas relating to safety within our workplace. She actively helps schedule and organize monthly safety meetings and provides valuable information and materials at these meetings,” said Public Works Director Bob Morrison and Planning Administrator Tim Hartmann. “She also researches safe practices to help educate staff on new equipment and she conducts routine safety inspections on city facilities.”
Kim
Kim Conwell receiving her Fjerestad Safety Award from Doug Kirkus, October 3, 2018.
2018 Safety and Loss Control Recognition Awards
In addition to individual recognition, all Pool Members have the opportunity to achieve recognition via Safety and Loss Control Recognition Awards. There are four levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Bronze level recognition requires Members to put into place ten safety or loss control practices such as having safety and personnel manuals and providing and attending training exercises.
Silver level recognition is achieved by completing the ten Bronze level requirements, and then nine additional requirements. The additional requirements include items such as appropriate contracts in place with vendors, and adopting the twelve critical law enforcement policies as recommended by the South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance.
Members can reach the Gold level by attaining the Bronze and Silver level requirements, and then six additional loss control and safety measures. The additional Gold level requirements include appointing a formal Safety Committee or appointing a Safety Coordinator, and documenting complaints from citizens and the Member’s response to the same. Additionally, to obtain Gold Level Status, an entity must have someone attend the preceding year’s annual safety conference.
The Platinum level recognition is given to those Members who have achieved gold level recognition and a combined three yearthree-year loss ratio of less than 60% for the pools to which they belong to. There were no Silver Level awards in 2018. The 2018 Safety and Loss Control recognition awards at each level are as follows:
Gold Bronze Level
City of Baltic City of Elk Point Brule County
Day County Highway City of Ethan Grant-Roberts Ambulance Gregory County Hand County Highway District
Jerald County Highway City of Lennox Lincoln Conservation District
Moody County Highway Oglala Lakota County Highway City of Philip
Roberts Conservation District
City of Sturgis Sully County Highway
City of Wall Walworth County Courthouse
Walworth County Highway
City of Webster City of Winner
Gold Level
City of Aberdeen Aurora County Highway Beadle County Highway
City of Box Elder City of Britton Brookings Municipal Utilities
Brookings County Brown County Clark County Highway Clay County Codington County Highway Codington County Maintenance City of Custer
Custer County Dakota Dunes Community Davison County City of Deadwood Improvement District City of Dell Rapids
City of DeSmet Edmunds County Fall River County City of Fort Pierre
City of Garretson
City of Hot Springs City of Huron
Hutchinson County Highway
Hyde County Highway Department Lake County
Lawrence County
City of Lead Lead-Deadwood Sanitary District Lincoln County
y
City of Madison Marshall County District
McCook County Highway Meade County Highway Miner Conservation District Minnehaha County City of Mitchell Pennington County Buildings Pennington County Highway City of Pierre Districtand Grounds
Sanborn County Highway City of Sioux Falls City of Spearfish
SSpearfish EmergencyAmbulance City of Valley Springs City of Vermillion Ambulance District
City of Volga City of Watertown Watertown Municipal Utilities
City of YanktonPlatinum Level
City of Aberdeen Aurora County Highway Beadle County Highway Brookings Municipal Utilities Brookings County Brown County
City of Custer Custer County Dakota Dunes Community
Davison County City of Deadwood Improvement District
City of Dell Rapids Edmunds County City of Fort Pierre Hutchinson County Highway Hyde County Highway Lawrence County City of Lead Lead-Deadwood Sanitary Lincoln County
Marshall County District McCook County Highway Miner Conservation District Minnehaha County City of Mitchell City of Pierre Sanborn County City of Spearfish
City of Vermillion City of Volga The South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance offers Loss Control Surveys to all of their Members. Additionally, Members have access to sample policies and manuals, as well as online and in-person training opportunities for law enforcement and administrative employees. If you would like more information about the Loss Control and Safety information or training opportunities available please go to our website at www.sdpaaonline.org or call our office at 800-658-3633 Option 2.
