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Emergency Preparedness
Among many factors, Florida's effectiveness in preparing for all types of disasters can ultimately lead to lives being saved and it can also serve to ensure the economic viability of the state for years to come. Emergency preparedness is facilitated at the state level where officials coordinate on preparedness efforts with county emergency managers and our partners at the federal level. Additionally, the State of Florida through public education efforts takes its responsibility to educate and assists its residents and visitors seriously.
Why Is This Important?
Preparedness is a full range of deliberate, critical tasks and activities necessary to build, sustain, and enhance readiness and minimize impacts through pre-deployment of resources, establishing field operations, evacuation and sheltering, implementing structural and non-structural mitigation measures, using technology to predict potential impacts, and implementing continuity of operations plans. This includes identifying the number of Florida National Guard members available to assist in emergency operations. Without these tasks being undertaken at all levels of government and without public education and outreach efforts the long-term effects of disasters could leave the State dealing with serious economic and social implications for decades to come.
By government's taking the steps necessary to prepare itself and its citizens for disasters, lives will be saved, businesses will remain viable and our ability to respond, recover and mitigate against disasters and their impacts will be second to none. These outcomes are why the State is so committed to preparedness activities and ensuring we are actively measuring the effectiveness and viability of them.
In sum, Florida's unique coastline, population, and tourist destinations, along with its recent history of enduring numerous disaster related events, makes clear the necessity for the state to enhance its emergency management preparedness operations.
How Is Florida Doing?
The State of Florida has had its share of presidential declared disasters during the past few years. Florida actively promotes a preparedness message to its citizens and urges them to, 'Get a Plan!' to ensure that their families and businesses are prepared for the impact of any disaster. This message is underscored due to the fact that Florida has many vulnerable citizens who cannot prepare and do not have the means to get the necessary supplies to prepare for disasters. For every citizen who has the means and does not prepare, needed supplies and assistance are taken away from those who cannot prepare themselves due to a variety of factors. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has developed a tool on their Web site (www.Florida disaster.org) for families and businesses to prepare themselves for potential disasters and their impacts.
Many unique factors contribute in making Florida vulnerable to the effects of natural and manmade disasters. Florida is the fourth most populated state in the nation and is the top travel destination in the world. Florida has 1,197 miles of coastline and 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline. Additionally, 80 percent of the state's total population resides in the 35 coastal counties and approximately two-thirds of this population resides in a Category 5 hurricane storm surge zone. In a worst-case scenario event, a Category 5 hurricane would cause a demand for up to 1.2 million shelter spaces statewide. To that end, Florida has been proactive in providing funding to reduce this deficit of shelter spaces.
Scorecard
What Influences Emergency Preparedness?
Florida's coastline length is more than any other state in the continental United States. While this makes Florida vulnerable to a large number of weather related disasters, it also makes the state more vulnerable to various domestic security issues.
The State of Florida is also the 4th most populous state in the union. According to a University of Florida study, approximately 18.68 million people make their home in Florida. This figure does not take into account Florida's immense tourist industry for which the Division of Emergency Management is responsible for during natural or man-made disaster events.
What Is the State's Role?
The state's role in preparedness activities is made clear in the Florida Division of Emergency Management's mission statement:
Working together to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate against their impacts.
The emphasis on preparation clearly indicates that preparedness feeds the response, recovery and mitigation activities involved in emergency management. All of these activities require training, exercises and other readiness activities to ensure that the state, local and federal emergency management officials are ready. Another component is also working to educate our citizens on how they can prepare for all disaster related hazards.
The National Guard is always on call to serve their fellow Floridians in times of emergency, as they have often demonstrated during the past few years.
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