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Best Practices Program

SDIS Best Practices Program

Your district can receive up to a 10% discount on your 2025 general liability, auto liability and property insurance contributions. There are five opportunities to earn 2% towards your total discount. 


How to Complete the Survey!  

  • Sign in at www.sdis.org
  • Then, click on Insurance located on the left
  • Next, click on Best Practices located on the left
  • Click Take Survey
  • Once in the survey, check all of the applicable boxes. After you have completed, click Submit at the top right of the screen. 

After clicking Submit, the survey has been submitted. If you refresh the survey and the boxes are still checked, we have the information. Did you forget to check a box or later complete a requirement? No worries. You can come back and edit the survey all the way until the November 1st deadline. 

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The SDIS Best Practices Program was designed to assist special districts with implementing best practices to mitigate risk in areas of high exposure. Your district can receive up to a 10% credit on 2025 general liability, auto liability, and property insurance contributions. There are five opportunities to earn 2% towards your total discount.

These opportunities include the following:

1. Affiliate Organization Membership | Credit: 2%

You will receive a 2% credit for being a member of any of the following affiliated organizations:

  • Cemetery Association of Oregon
  • Oregon APCO-NENA
  • Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police
  • Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies
  • Oregon Association of Conservation Districts
  • Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems
  • Oregon Association of Water Utilities
  • Oregon Economic Development District Association
  • Oregon Fire Chiefs Association
  • Oregon Fire District Directors Association
  • Oregon Library Association
  • Oregon Mosquito and Vector Control Association
  • Oregon People’s Utility Districts Association
  • Oregon PRIMA
  • Oregon Public Ports Association
  • Oregon Recreation and Park Association
  • Oregon Rural Health Association
  • Oregon Transit Association
  • Oregon Water Resources Congress

2. Public Meeting Policy  | Credit: 2%

In order to receive the 2% credit, your district must have adopted or have a current policy in regards to public meetings. This policy must meet the new legislative requirements that went into effect January 1, 2024. A sample policy can be downloaded here.

Public Meeting Policy (Sample) ref library (1).docx

3. Public Meeting Checklist | Credit: 2%

To receive credit in this category, you must complete the self-evaluation checklist that is available within the Best Practices Survey. The survey is open online at www.sdis.org. Read the Receiving Credit section for details.

 4. SDAO/SDIS Training | Credit: 2%

At least one (1) representative of the district must complete an SDAO/SDIS training of the following listed options:

  • Any SDAO Board, Human Resources, or Risk Management Regional Training
  • SDAO Annual Conference
  • Metro Breakfast
  • Board Practices Assessment Training

For an up-to-date list of the current scheduled SDAO/SDIS trainings please visit: 
https://www.sdao.com/calendar

5. Public Meeting Training (Online) | Credit: 2%

ALL members of the Board of Directors of the district must complete the public meeting training offered on Vector Solutions (formerly SafePersonnel).  This training is located in the course library under the SDIS custom course tab and named Public Meetings Law. 

If your district has already set up their training website with Vector Solutions and you are looking to complete trainings, please contact your district's management team for information on creating your login. If you have forgotten your district's training website address or your login information, please contact Vector Solutions at 800-434-0154.

If you have not set up your district's personalized training website and would be the district contact for the site, please email memberservices@sdao.com and send us your name, district name, contact phone number and email address. 

Receiving Credit

To receive credit, a district representative must complete the Best Practices survey (located online on the SDIS Insurance Site) and click the Submit button at the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Credit will only be awarded in a category when a box within that section is checked. If you cannot answer “yes” to at least one question within that category, credit will not be recorded. Your district will be notified by email this spring when the survey becomes available online. The survey must be submitted by a district representative who will verify completion of the credit requirements within the survey. Training credits taken by members are not automatically updated in the Best Practices Survey and must be manually checked off by the member. Please note, each district is responsible for completing their own survey online. The deadline to complete the survey is November 1, 2024. 

If you have any questions regarding the Best Practices Program or need help completing it online, please contact Jaime Keeling at jkeeling@sdao.com or 800.285.5461 ext. 122