2025 Shark Tank Winners
Safety, Ingenuity, and Solutions Take Center Stage
CIS members packed the room — and the app — to vote for their favorite safety and risk-reduction project at this year’s Shark Tank competition, held during the 2025 Annual Conference in Salem. With three creative proposals and increased prize amounts on the line, the energy was high as the City of Canby, Lake Oswego Fire Department, and City of Carlton competed for top honors.
The Shark Tank competition, now in its fifth year, invites members with CIS coverage to pitch innovative projects aimed at improving safety, reducing claims, and helping other communities replicate their success. All three 2025 finalists walked away with funding, with first place receiving $7,500, second place $5,000, and third place $2,500.
Lake Oswego Fire Department took home the top prize of $7,500 for their AquaEye Sonar Tool project. Presented by Luke Fortune, a paramedic and rescue diver, the proposal focused on acquiring a sonar scanning device to improve the speed and safety of water rescues. The AquaEye can scan an acre of water in minutes and pinpoints likely human targets with impressive accuracy — keeping divers safer and significantly reducing risk. With 36 submerged rescue calls in 2024 alone, the department saw an immediate need for this technology. Thanks to CIS members' votes, that need will soon be met.
In second place was the City of Carlton, awarded $5,000 for their snowplow safety attachment project. Assistant City Manager Christy Martinez charmed the audience with a lighthearted poem — and a serious message about the need for improved snow and ice removal equipment. Carlton’s current snow-clearing arsenal includes little more than tractors and shovels. Their proposed truck-mounted snowplow, complete with visibility markers and anti-theft protection, will help reduce slip-and-fall and auto claims during icy conditions.
The City of Canby rounded out the winners’ list, receiving $2,500 for their Fall Protection System project at the wastewater treatment plant. Supervisor Monica Stone detailed the safety risks of confined spaces and shared how the new Davit system — a crane-like rescue device — would improve employee safety and enable cross-agency training for other CIS members. Backed by a humorous Star Trek spoof video and a strong message of teamwork, the project won over voters and highlighted the power of small agencies doing big things.
From reducing drowning risks and preventing workplace injuries to keeping roads safer during winter storms, this year’s Shark Tank finalists showcased the best in public service innovation. Their projects tackled local challenges while offering important solutions that other cities and counties can adopt to help make their own communities safer, stronger, and healthier.
Congratulations to Lake Oswego Fire Department, City of Carlton, and City of Canby for delivering three winning ideas and making this year’s competition one to remember!
If you have a project that could make your workplace safer or reduce risks, now’s the time to start planning! CIS members with property, liability — or who are members of the CIS Servicing Group powered by SAIF — can submit their ideas for the next Shark Tank at cisoregon.org/sharktank.
Our 2026 Annual Conference will be held Feb. 25–27, 2026, in Salem. Whether you attend virtually or in person, don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and inspire your peers. By working together, we can help Oregon cities and counties to be safer, stronger, and healthier. Let’s keep those great ideas coming!
