1. What happens when disaster strikes Florida?
When CNN starts covering an impending hurricane or other disaster who responds in Florida or in Leon County.
The Division of Emergency Management goes into action.

2. Our Vision: “Failure is not an option”
The Division of Emergency Management was created in 1969 and has directed responses to disasters throughout the state since then.
It has an All hazards preparedness program --floods, wildfires and hurricanes, pandemics, terrorism or radiological release
Fully accredited by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program—one of only 14 states
Coordinates disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation programs with the 67 counties.
Serves as liaison to the federal government to administer disaster relief programs.

3. “Working together to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them and mitigate against their impacts.”
The mission of the Division . . .
This mission is accomplished by working together—state agencies, local governments, utility companies, retail vendors and possibly public libraries.
To organize this work and as a condition of federal preparedness funding the state uses the national incident management system or NIMS. Within NIMS is the ICS or Incident Command System. A standardized on-scene all hazard incident management concept—state and local officials are trained to use NIMS. Based upon a flexible, scalable response organization providing a common frame work within which people drawn from multiple agencies can work together effectively.
Division coordinates with local governments to determine what if any assistance would be required and coordinates with neighboring counties, state and non-profits agencies to make sure resources and equipment get to where they are need most. Emergency Coordinating Officers (ECO) from individual agencies work in 18 teams or ESF Emergency Support Functions. The ESF is a mechanism that consolidates multiple agencies that perform similar or like functions into a single, cohesive unit to allow for the better management of emergency response functions
Public libraries are ready to become part of the response team. Some counties and communities already know the value of public libraries during an emergency. The work the Information Institute is doing will go a long way to helping responders to understand.

4. Personal Preparedness
Probably the most visible preparedness planning is for hurricane season. Shortly we will be begin hearing about family and individual preparation for hurricane season: emphasis on having a plan, buying supplies and food stuffs, using a generator—generally things that Florida residents do during hurricane season.

5. State Preparedness
Preparedness exercises take place year round in Florida Scheduled and unscheduled. Statewide hurricane exercise will take place at the end of May. They may go unnoticed but there are practice exercises that take place across the state.

6. Florida CERT Teams Make A Difference For Floridians
Another component of the response team comes from the Florida Community Emergency Response team trains volunteers in basic disaster preparedness and response skills such as managing utilities, putting out small fires, first aid, basic search and rescue, damage assessment and evacuation. Used to provide immediate assistance to survivors of disasters, and collect disaster information to support professional first responders provide the first help.

7. State Logistics Response Center
Standing by for any emergency
at the State Logistics Response Center, near Orlando are:
300 truckloads of bottled water
54 truckloads of shelf-stable meals
26 truckloads of tarps
16 pallets of insect repellent
5,080 cots and 5,080 bedding kits
350,000 hygiene kits
As well as other critical commodities for emergency response

8. Emergency Operations Center
Located in Tallahassee, in a state of the art facility is central command and control facility looking at the statewide picture.
High level of security, self contained operations facility—generators, food,
When fully activated the staff of the division and ESF staff are 12 hours on 12 hours for the duration directing aid
Runs 24 hours a day 365 days a year to respond to any and all emergencies from a fuel spill on I95 causing a road closure to a hurricane.

9. State Watch Office
Within the Emergency Operations Center is the State Watch Office ; the state warning point operators, duty officers, supervisor, meteorology and a plans officer. This allows the State Emergency Response Team to immediately come to the table and to begin to work an issue prior to the partial or full activation of the Emergency Operations Center.

10. EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-1 87 (Emergency Management - Hurricane Ike)
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER
(Emergency Management - Hurricane Ike)
I am issuing an Executive Order to declare a state of emergency due to the threat
Hurricane Ike poses to the State of Florida and to ensure timely precautions are taken to
protect communities and the general welfare of this state as well as initiate measures to
provide assistance to other states in need.
State and local governments have a plan, they have been trained and are ready. What triggers activation. The Governor’s Executive Order declaring a state of emergency triggers activation of the EOC at whatever level is deemed necessary. Calling in the necessary ESFs.
The Governor’s executive order is necessary to triggering the Federal Government calling a state of emergency which allows federal resources such as FEMA to be called in.
The Executive Order Directs all state, county, regional and local governmental agencies, including law enforcement agencies to identify personnel needed for those agencies to assist in meeting the needs created by this emergency, and to place all such personnel under the direction of the state coordinating officer.
Activates the national guard. Waive collection of road tolls. Activates an emergency compact with other states.