ANNEX C
THE STATE
OF FLORIDA
(To The State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan)
Exhibit One – Unified Command Organization
The State
of Florida Emergency Response Team Guidelines for Wildfire Operations, Annex C
to the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan identifies
the actions that may be taken by the Florida Division of Forestry and those State
and local agencies in support of the Division of Forestry in preparing for,
responding to, and recovering from wildfire event(s). This annex addresses the role of State and local government in
providing the necessary support to the Florida Division of Forestry in its
statutory responsibilities in responding to, controlling and suppressing
wildfires.
The Department of Community Affairs, Division of Emergency
Management has the overall responsibility for coordination of the support. The Division of Emergency Management, in
cooperation with the Division of Forestry, will update and coordinate the plans
with other response and support agencies.
Within the Division of Emergency Management, the Bureau of Preparedness
and Response has the responsibility for coordinating with the Division of
Forestry the state planning for wildfire events.
The Annex is a document is constantly under development and
is presently divided into five (5) Chapters as follows:
Chapter 1
– Introduction: Provides a discussion of the purpose, scope and
planning assumptions used to prepare the annex.
Chapter 2
- The Response Organization:
Identifies the various levels of support which may be provided through a
Unified Command structure. It describes
the circumstances under which the various agencies will unify under a single
command structure in responding to, controlling and suppressing wildfires and
the responsibilities of the Unified Command components (agencies). This Chapter also addresses the delegation
of authority during a wildfire event.
Chapter 3 - The Concept of Operation: Presents the key guidelines that will be
used to make key decisions during the course of the event. Based on joint considerations discussed and
determined by the State liaison agencies of the Unified Command (Division of
Forestry, the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida Fire Chiefs
Association, and the State Fire Marshals Office), several guidelines for the
three levels of activation (Monitoring, Partial, and Full) for the State
Emergency Operations Center during a wildfire event have been developed. This Chapter also addresses medical unit
activation, air operations, logistical support, and resources.
Chapter 4
- Requesting Fire Suppression Assistance:
Provides the framework under which fire suppression
assistance will be obtained when State resources have been over extended. Information will be disseminated to the
public within the Unified Command. The Chapter also describes the information
needed and the steps necessary for satisfying the requirements to request fire
suppression assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency based on
the wildfire or complex of wildfires.
Chapter 5
- Public Information and Information Flow: Discusses the notification
process for active wildfires to the State Warning Point, the coordination of situation
reports and incident action plans.
The authority for
the development, implementation, and maintenance of this Annex and all
compatible county/municipal plans in support of the Division of Forestry in its
statutory responsibilities in responding to, controlling and suppressing
wildfires is derived from Chapter
252.35(2)(a) of the Florida Statutes.
This Annex
further serves as the fundamental governing policy as prescribed for the
Division of Forestry under Chapter 590
of the Florida Statutes.
The Federal
Emergency Management Agency policy on requesting Fire Suppression Assistance is
contained within 44 CFR Part 206,
Subpart L.
The Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s Interim Policy on Fire
Suppression Assistance, April 1999.