City of Altamonte Springs – Innovation Award
The City of Altamonte Springs is a city that prioritizes risk management to ensure the safety of both its community and employees. The City boasts excellent parks and recreation facilities and programs, which are inspected and maintained regularly to identify and correct potential hazards before they cause harm.
Altamonte Springs also hosts community events, including the Altamonte Springs Science Incubator program, which teaches middle and high school students about environmental science and municipal operations.
The City also hosts Red, Hot and Boom, one of the largest Independence Day celebrations in the state, which requires thorough planning and preparation to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors.
The City is actively embracing emerging technologies that benefit the community, such as solar fields, hybrid/electric fleet vehicles, AI plan review, and the CraneRIDES autonomous vehicle pilot project.
Altamonte Springs uses many FMIT resources to develop and implement safety and risk management processes, especially in equipment operation programs. These programs enable City staff to train, evaluate and authorize equipment operators. The City has hosted teams from other Florida cities for training, including traffic control classes and the Reality Based Training Association’s law enforcement training.
The City of Altamonte Springs Police Department was awarded the FMIT Safety Excellence Initiative certification, motivating two neighboring cities to follow suit through friendly competition. The City’s Risk Management Staff actively participates in nearly all FMIT offerings, including the Community Connection, the FLC Insurance Summit, conferences, training classes and webinars. City staff remains willing and prepared to share knowledge with municipal risk managers.
Leon County – Insurance Leader Award
The Leon County Office of Risk Management, under the leadership of Risk Manager Shelley Cason, operates with a proactive approach to safety, striving to identify and address potential risks before they result in accidents. In 2020, the office reorganized to transform the previously named Safety Group into the Safety Advisory Group, marking a cultural shift toward enhanced risk management. This change facilitated open communication channels between the Risk Management office, County departments, and other relevant offices, fostering discussions on pressing safety concerns, encouraging questions, and promoting safety-oriented dialogue.
Over the past year, the Risk Management division, in collaboration with the Safety Advisory Group, has made significant strides in accident prevention and hazard resolution. They dedicated substantial time and effort to securing safety equipment, such as prescription safety glasses and neon hats for outdoor County employees operating tall machinery, showcasing the group's commitment to addressing department-specific safety needs. Leon County's Certificate of Safety Recognition from FMIT and participation in the Safety Grant program underscore their dedication to workplace safety.
Furthermore, Risk Management has championed a safety culture by updating the Guide to Workplace Safety & Health Manual, launching training initiatives and implementing the Safety101 software for near-miss reporting, training tracking and inspection data. This software streamlines safety reporting and provides employees easy access to essential training resources. The office's proactive approach extends beyond the workplace, as they disseminate safety information to County employees through weekly "Toolbox Talks" and engage with the community through events like the countywide Home Expo, where they promote household safety awareness and accident prevention measures.
Town of Palm Beach – Risk & Safety Award
The Town of Palm Beach's Office of Risk Management oversees the Town's property, liability and workers' compensation insurance programs, which are insured through FMIT with a hybrid structure combining first-dollar coverage and large self-insured retentions. The risk management program provides comprehensive safety training to all employees, along with monthly safety newsletters. The Town's Risk Manager oversees this program and has maintained an excellent experience modification rating for five consecutive years.
The Town of Palm Beach actively utilizes FMIT's resources, including in-person safety training provided by FMIT's loss control team. Additionally, the Town leverages FMIT's safety library, videos and sample policies. Specialized training on topics like bloodborne pathogens, titer, hepatitis A and B vaccines, and PTSD, has been offered to employees, focusing on Police and Fire Rescue personnel. In-person and by video, wellness and mental health training are available to all Town employees.
Annual facility safety inspections are standard practice, with the Town proactively taking corrective action to enhance employee safety. Participation in FMIT's Safety Grant program enables the Town to acquire safety equipment in compliance with Florida Department of Transportation requirements. Additionally, employees attend specialized training courses, contributing to the Town's designation as a drug-free workplace and earning a 5% credit on adjusted premiums under state workers' compensation self-insured assessments. The Town's Workplace Safety program is approved by the state, meeting statutory requirements and yielding an additional 2% adjusted premium credit under state workers' compensation self-insured assessments. The Office of Risk Management also actively pursues subrogation rights in cases of third-party negligence and shares its expertise by participating in educational panels, such as the Florida League of Cities (FLC) Insurance Summit.
Questions? Contact Risk & Safety Management Director Ron Peters at rpeters@flcities.com.