One of the strengths of the Florida Sheriffs Association is the ability to pool resources from the 67 Sheriffs’ Offices to address specific areas of concern. After Florida’s Mutual Aid Act took effect in 1984, the sheriffs were given a better system for working together during emergency operations, including built-in legal protections. The Florida sheriffs took this a step farther by creating a structure to launch proactive efforts, including establishing operation protocols and Command Advisory Teams with specific expertise, including hostage negotiations, forensics and civil disturbance.