Natural Hazards Section
The Natural Hazards Section administers the state’s natural hazards planning programs. The goal of the section is to ensure that the State Emergency Response Team is prepared for prompt, efficient response and recovery to protect lives and property affected by natural disasters. Several planning programs are housed here: Comprehensive Emergency Management Planning, Continuity of Operations, the Hurricane Program, and Catastrophic Planning. Coordination of other natural hazard-specific programs, such as drought and wildfires, is also conducted within the Natural Hazards Section. In addition, the section lends support to pandemic planning efforts.
Comprehensive Emergency Management
The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) review team coordinates with county emergency management agencies to help them prepare well-organized and functional emergency management plans. A Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan is an operations-oriented document that establishes the framework for an effective system to ensure that all counties within the State of Florida will be adequately prepared to deal with the occurrence of emergencies and disasters. The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan unites the efforts of state agencies, special districts, local governments and volunteer organizations for a comprehensive approach to reduce vulnerability to an array of identified hazards. There are seven review teams, with each review team consisting of a team leader and multiple mitigation, recovery, and hazard-specific reviewers.
The Natural Hazards Section is also responsible for developing and updating the state’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. This task is done by coordinating with other state agencies and working diligently to revise items within the plan in order to reflect National Incident Management System requirements as well as applying lessons learned from previous emergencies. This “all hazards” plan serves as a framework to make certain that the state is prepared for major, minor, and catastrophic disasters.
Continuity of Operations Planning
Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) is an effort to ensure the continued performance of critical essential functions during a wide range of potential emergencies. The Continuity of Operations program coordinator interacts with local and state agencies on a daily basis to make certain that those agencies are prepared to provide critical services in an environment that is threatened, diminished, or incapacitated. This goal is accomplished through the reviewing of plans, comprehensive procedures, plan development, and provisions for alternate facilities, personnel, resources, interoperable communications and vital records. Technical assistance provided by the COOP program coordinator includes reviewing plans, providing guidance, training, and making recommendations. The program coordinator also provides support and assistance to local and state government agencies as well as non-government agencies in the development of their respective COOP plans.
Hurricane Program
The Hurricane Program coordinates statewide hurricane planning efforts by leading the development and update of the eleven regional evacuation studies. These studies—a vital element of the decision-making process for public safety—aid local governments in establishing evacuation zones and routes as well as appropriate shelter locations. In addition, the Hurricane Program is responsible for providing training on evacuation decision-making tools such as Hurrevac and the Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model. During disaster response operations, the Hurricane Program Manager serves as the evacuation technical expert.
Catastrophic Planning
The Florida Catastrophic Planning (FLCP) Project considers two catastrophic events: a breach of the Herbert Hoover Dike around the waters of Lake Okeechobee and a Category 5 hurricane making landfall in South Florida, which has a population of nearly seven million. While Florida has successfully handled many significant disasters, it is the job of emergency management to be thinking of the next “what if” and plan for it. A direct hit by a Category 5 hurricane with a subsequent failure of the Herbert Hoover Dike could have a devastating impact—not only to Florida but also to the entire U.S. economy. Millions of people are expected to be displaced for a significant period of time. Concern over this prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of Florida to begin the FLCP initiative in the fall of 2006.
The main products of the FLCP project will be two sets of plans, one addressing local, state, and supporting federal response plans for a failure of the Herbert Hoover Dike while the other addresses similar types of response plans for a catastrophic event impacting South Florida, specifically a Category 4 hurricane.
Staff Contacts
Brian Richardson – Manager, Natural Hazards Section / Meteorologist
Brian.Richardson@em.myflorida.com
(850) 413-9872
Wendell Dumas – Continuity of Operations
Wendell.Dumas@em.myflorida.com
(850) 413-9838
Vacant – Comprehensive Emergency Management Planning
Sandy Meyer – Hurricane Program
Sandy.Meyer@em.myflorida.com
(850) 413-9893
Andrew Sussman – Catastrophic Planning
Andrew.Sussman@em.myflorida.com
(850) 921-8606
Updated:
August 25, 2010 14:14
