OIR promotes Partners in Recovery Program
OIR issues informational memorandum OIR-11-02M in late March to promote the Partners in Recovery Program, “a not-for-profit organization whose primary mission is to expedite the payment of property insurance claims following a disaster.” The memo makes the following observations:
Partners in Recovery provides year-round insurance disaster preparation and response communications among the Department of Financial Services (DFS), the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), and emergency management and insurance communities. It includes the following components:
1. The Insurance Liaison Team at the State Emergency Management Operations Center in Tallahassee. When a disaster occurs on Florida this team will transmit information on the disaster to the insurance industry.
2. Insurance Disaster Assessment Team (IDAT) will provide initial damage estimates within hours of landfall. The team will travel to the disaster area to evaluate the damage caused by the event and provide timely, critical on-site insurance related damage assessment information.
3. State Emergency Response Team (SERT) permits are issued to facilitate entry into damaged areas by insurance company adjusters. Companies are issued SERT permits that expedite access into areas that have been heavily damaged by a catastrophic event. SERT permits for the 2011-2012 hurricane seasons are currently available for all authorized property and casualty insurers.
The program’s annual meeting is scheduled for May 17, 2011, and will be held at the Broward County Convention Center, rooms 207 and 208, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, from 9:00 AM until noon. All licensed companies are encouraged to participate. A copy of the memo is provided here.