Program areas at IAMU
Iamu supports iowas Municipal natural gas, water, electric, and broadband Utilities (over 750 members) by providing training, education and advocacy on a wide variety of topics and issues. Iamu provides risk management training services to small clusters of members on a regional basis, representing 753 separate member Utilities, as well to approximately three other governmental subdivisions as 169 affiliate members and 194 associate members. The Association provides this training and education through webinars, centralized workshops, regional meetings, newsletters, webpage and a host of other methods and tools. Iamu operates a 10 acre training field fully equipped with natural gas, water and electric lines and services on which members employees may train without fear of injury or customer disruption.
Iamu contracted with an outside lobbyist at the state level in order to advocate for its members interests, and protect their needs, while collaborating with national trade associations to do the same at the federal level. Iamu participates in the regulatory process on behalf of members to ensure that their voice is heard. This includes providing written comments on proceedings before the Iowa Utilities board, the Iowa department of natural resources, the federal energy regulatory commission, the environmental protection agency, the office of pipeline safety, the Iowa office of consumer advocate, and the federal emergency management Association.
The Association provides training on a wide range of subjects. It conducts regular workshops and conferences to support electric, gas, water and broadband Utilities. Iamu provides job training and safety services to 9 "safety clusters" - regional organizations of local governments that operate 510 separate Utilities. More than 11 individual cities and government organizations utilize iamu training services under separate agreements. Iamu offered tens of thousands of hours of member contact hours.
-safety regional coordinator positions have been created to provide a more personal approach to safety training and allow cities to have a main point of contact at iamu to handle all safety related aspects for the members within the regional group. - iamu began offering its mobile crane operator certification and examination course for digger derrick, service truck, and mobile crane operators. Osha's updated crane standard requires that operators of lifting equipment be trained, evaluated, and tested to obtain certification, and iamu wanted to make sure that our members had a convenient and affordable way to get that necessary certification. - gas operator qualification has moved to an online training which allows cities to provide the training on their own schedule with iamu overseeing and providing evaluations. -iamu converted 9 safety clusters to one large safety group providing in person classes at several locations across the state; webinars; focused content; streaming videos; free and customizable programs; mock walkthroughs and audits, maintaining safety training records; free cpr; hearing and respiratory fit testing.