6/29/2018

State Continues to Provide Assistance Following Limerock Wildfire

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and other state agencies today continued to provide assistance and resources to Franklin County officials. This afternoon, Governor Rick Scott’s senior leadership, joined by Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, FDEM, the Department of Economic Opportunity, the Florida Housing and Finance Corporation, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Volunteer Florida, held a coordinating call with Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith, Franklin Emergency Management Director Pam Brownell and County Manager Alan Pierce. During the call, state officials offered continued assistance, focusing on housing solutions, and requested additional information from Franklin County regarding unmet needs and services to help in the ongoing efforts to assist families impacted by the Limerock Wildfire in Eastpoint, Florida.

It is incredibly important that individuals impacted by the fire provide state and county officials with information regarding their losses and current needs so that resources can quickly be deployed to assist them. Families should report to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office located at 270 FL-65, Eastpoint, Florida or call the Florida Division of Risk Management at (850) 413-3122 for assistance.

As the State works to identify funding and grant resources to assist the victims of the wildfire, FDEM continues to assist Franklin County as they develop their Preliminary Damage Assessment, which will identify what resources are needed for each family to recover. FDEM is also working with the County to identify any potential grant funding or financial assistance that may be available in response to this wildfire.

MORE INFORMATION ON STATE RELIEF EFFORTS:

• The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) has deployed its Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobile units to Eastpoint. FLOW mobile units offer a convenient method to renew a driver license, obtain a replacement driver license, change a name or address on a driver license, get an identification card or renew a vehicle registration. They also offer DHSMV’s critical safety services such as emergency contact information registration.

• DHSMV also deployed 27 Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol to assist local law enforcement and emergency management with recovery efforts and safety missions.

• FDEM is also coordinating with Volunteer Florida to identify non-governmental organizations with resources to support families and individuals affected in Franklin County. Services currently being offered through FDEM and Volunteer Florida include:

• The Salvation Army is providing mobile feeding to affected households and assisting with the operation of a shelter at the Church of God in Eastpoint.
• The American Red Cross is managing the shelter, conducting damage assessments and providing direct client services to impacted individuals and families.

• FDEM is coordinating with private sector partners including Airbnb to identify support for housing for families and individuals affected by this tragedy.

The Florida Department of Financial Services is providing the following assistance at the direction of CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis:

• The Division of Consumer Services has deploying insurance experts to Franklin County to assist residents with navigating the insurance claims-filing process.

• The Division of Risk Management has deploying adjusters to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to assist residents with filing a partial settlement claim for up to $5,000 per household for emergency living expenses such as temporary housing, clothing, food or pet care. Residents should bring proof of residency such as a driver license, utility bill or other bills. Click HERE for more information.
• Those who cannot attend should contact the Division of Risk Management at (850) 413-3122 for assistance.

• The Division of Investigative and Forensic Services is also providing assistance to state and local officials for structural damage assessments and to help secure the impacted areas.

Families seeking additional information and resources on assistance should contact Franklin County Emergency Management at 850-653-8977 or
emfranklin@franklinemergencymanagment.com.