Florida and Georgia Renew Insurance Regulatory Disaster Cooperation Plan
Jul 24, 2009
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty and Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine announced the renewal of a partnership agreement today, July 24, that will ensure the continuity of their states’ insurance regulatory functions in the event of a natural disaster. This action revises and replaces a previous agreement from February 2006.
A press release from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation about the agreement is reprinted below.
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Florida and Georgia Insurance Regulators Agree on Disaster Cooperation Plan
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty and Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine today announced that they have renewed a partnership agreement that will ensure continuity of operations of mission critical functions in the event of a catastrophe that causes significant disruption to either state’s insurance regulatory operation.
Under the agreement, members of an affected state’s office will use temporary work spaces in the other state until the infrastructure has been adequately restored in either Tallahassee or Atlanta. The memorandum of understanding lays out the terms and conditions of the host state’s support requirements as well as the responsibilities of the mobilizing state.
“I hope we never have to use this element of our disaster plan,” said Commissioner McCarty. “But it is important that we have this kind of arrangement in place so that we can quickly move our key operations and continue serving the people of Florida in the event of a significant disaster. I want to thank Commissioner Oxendine for his involvement and cooperation.”
The essential elements of the agreement are as follows:
- Host state will provide space for 20 employees for a period of 45 days
- Host state will provide logistical support to include a limited number of laptop and desktop computers, Internet capabilities and fax machines
- Mobilizing state will be responsible for paying for expenses incurred
- Mobilizing state will use cell phones, where available, to limit long-distance phone costs to host state
- Mobilizing state will promptly notify host state contacts when a disaster occurs and operations must be moved to the host state
Today’s agreement revises and replaces a previous agreement from February 2006.
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