2025 ERMF Results Show We’ve Got the “Blues”
 And that’s a good thing! The 2025 Risk Management Review (RMR), which used a color-coded rating system to evaluate each agency’s completed Essentials of Risk Management Form (ERMF), shows a total membership rating of 75.74 percent, ranking it in the Blue category. A Blue rating indicates safety is a core value and priority not only for individual agencies but for PDRMA’s membership overall.
Introduced last year, the ERMF grouped agencies into one of five color categories — Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Red — based on each agency's results. Those results also determined the focus of each agency’s 2026 risk management pursuits.
In 2026, agencies that received a Green, Blue or Yellow rating will focus on improvements in areas identified in the ERMF. Agencies with an Orange or Red rating will work closely with their PDRMA Risk Management Consultant(s) to complete the ERMF again in 2026.
The goal of the 2025 RMR was to help agencies identify their strengths and areas for improvement in their risk management programs. It included an evaluation of specific risk management topics highlighted in the Essentials of Risk Management Form.
 Risk Management Consultants (RMCs) met with agency staff during on-site reviews of documentation related to specific ERMF questions and provided on-site observations. This collaboration helped identify needs, implement key risk management practices to prevent incidents and reduce potential litigation issues while highlighting future needs.
Of the 159 agencies participating in the RMR and completing the 2025 ERMF, 105 scored above the PDRMA membership average (75.74), while 54 scored below it. Among the categories, Special Recreation Associations earned the highest average rating at 83.70 percent, followed by Park Districts at 74.81 percent and Forest Preserve/Conservation Districts at 70.57 percent.
For more information about the 2025 Risk Management Review, please watch our Safety Coordinator Update Series — Feb. 3, 2026, recorded webinar. |
