On October 1, 1978, in response to difficulty in obtaining professional liability coverage, 52 Florida Sheriffs began pooling their professional liability coverages by forming the Florida Sheriffs Self Insurance Fund (FSSIF).
Over the next four decades, the Sheriffs continued to pool their insurance contributions, add new lines of coverage, build reserves and establish additional programs to meet the insurance needs of the Florida Sheriffs. In 1986, the Sheriffs’ Automobile Risk Program (SHARP) was introduced to provide automobile liability and physical damage coverage to participants. In 1992, the Sheriffs started the Florida Sheriffs Association Workers’ Compensation Program (FSAWCP) to provide statutory workers’ compensation benefits and employer’s liability insurance to Sheriffs and their employees. In 2002, that program ceased and was replaced by the Florida Sheriffs Workers’ Compensation Self-Insurance Fund (FSWCSIF).
To achieve further operational and governance efficiencies and enhance the already strong financial condition of the Programs, on August 1, 2011, the FSSIF and SHARP merged to create the Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund (FSRMF). On February 1, 2013, the FSWCSIF was merged into the FSRMF. In addition, FSRMF formed a wholly owned subsidiary in December of 2012, the Florida Sheriffs Insurance Agency, LLC. (FSIA), to assist Sheriff’s offices in the purchase of insurance coverage not available through one of the FSRMF self-insurance programs.
Today, the FSRMF is owned, managed and governed by Florida Sheriffs. Since January 1, 2013, all administrative services are provided to the participating members by the FSRMF.
The FSRMF has continued to flourish in an incredibly competitive marketplace because the programs and services are 100 percent focused on protecting Florida Sheriffs and their employees. With a committed staff experienced in both insurance and law enforcement, there is a clear understanding of the Sheriffs’ needs and unprecedented insight into protecting their interests and exposures.