Safety Group Insurance Program

Since 1980, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, Risk Management Consultants Ltd., and EMC Insurance Companies have joined together to bring Iowa cities and utilities a comprehensive and competitive insurance program. Expansions and improvements to the program have been made continuously to meet the changing needs of Iowa’s cities and utilities.

Organized in 1911 to write workers’ compensation insurance in Iowa, EMC Insurance Companies has grown to a multi-line insurance company with branch offices nationwide. Today, EMC Insurance Companies serves the diverse needs of all sizes and types of businesses and governmental entities. Jester Insurance Services of Des Moines, through its subsidiary Risk Management Consultants Ltd., was selected by the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities to develop, manage and oversee the safety group insurance program.

Insurance products are analyzed by Risk Management Consultants Ltd., the IAMU Insurance Committee and Board, and EMC Insurance Companies to bring Iowa communities the latest innovations and special coverages. Risk Management Consultants Ltd. serves as a liaison with EMC assisting local agents in making application to the program. There is a common anniversary date of April 1 for all participants, however, initial participation can begin on any date.

For complete information about the IAMU Safety Group Insurance program, CLICK HERE to download a program brochure (PDF).

For information on the IAMU safety group cyber liability program through CFC Underwriters, CLICK HERE.

Contact Heith Hockenberry (515-350-7666) with any questions.

Risk Management Tools

Job Description Templates

Helping to take some of the work and risk out of creating job descriptions.

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) has developed nine Job Description Templates for members to use when creating job descriptions for position postings and for general use. The new job description templates include ones for:

Electric Lineworker
Water Plant Operator/Technician
Power Plant Operator
Telecom/ Broadband Technician
Gas/Water/Wastewater Superintendent or Technician
Public Works/Streets/Maintenance Worker
Billing Specialist-Payroll Clerk-Clerical
Solid Waste Collection Helper Driver
City Maintenance Worker Including Heavy Equipment

The templates are available to all IAMU members for free. Safety Group Insurance Program participants can also receive complimentary consulting assistance in using the templates from Dave Eaton, IAMU Risk Improvement Representative. If you are not an insurance program participant, there is a nominal fee for the added consulting services. Click here to access the templates. (Note: You must be sign in as a member to access the templates.)

Contact Dave Hraha, 515.289.1999, for more information.

What's more, IAMU and EMC have teamed up to offer the following helpful programs to manage future risk by using the Prework Screening, Select Provider, and the Return-to-Work Programs. Below are overview documents that explain the programs and then a copy of each program.

Prework Screening Program - Hiring qualified employees is one of the most important business decisions an employer can make; however, it can also be one of the most difficult. A prework screening program can help determine which applicants are best qualified for specific tasks. Overview - Program Details
Select Provider Program - Prompt reporting, quality medical attention, and excellent communication are essential to successful cost management for workers’ compensation claims. EMC/IAMU’s Select Provider Program helps organizations manage the process by providing educational tools to improve claim handling procedures, selecting qualified and reputable medical providers, and defining return-to-work policies and procedures. Overview - Program Details
Return-to-Work Program - An early return to work (RTW) program is an organized system that aims to bring injured or disabled employees safely back to work as soon as they are able. Transitional work duties are matched to the injured worker’s abilities for a specific time frame, allowing the worker to rejoin the workplace sooner—an advantage to both the employer and the employee. Overview - Program Details

Attorney Connect Program - Don’t let your unanswered employment questions turn into employment problems. Termination. Sexual harassment. Due process. Employee handbooks. Workers’ compensation. Too often these employment-related issues end up in court cases. EMC Insurance Companies and the AttorneyConnect program can help answer your employment law questions and resolve issues before they end up in court. AttorneyConnect is a proactive program designed especially for Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) Safety Group members who want to make the right employment decisions. Program Details

Lexipol Law Enforcement Services - EMC wants to make it easy for you to create comprehensive policy manuals and provide training for your officers. That’s why we’ve partnered with Lexipol, LLC, the leading provider of policy management resources for law enforcement, to provide you with discounted access to their services. Program Details

On Call Nurse - EMC Insurance Companies and Medcor are working together to provide EMC OnCall Nurse, a 24-hour work injury nurse hotline, to our workers’ compensation policyholders. EMC OnCall Nurse improves health outcomes for injured employees while reducing workers’ compensation claims and costs. Program Details