New Members for the DEM Emergency Management Advisory Working Group

President’sMessage

PUBLICATION OF FLORIDA EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ASSOCIATION

Serving Emergency Preparedness in Florida Since 1956

SPRING 2013

Ron Mills, FPEMPresident

As we approach the 2013 hur-ricane season, with prepara-tions on-going or completed,

we are reminded of the many individual situational responsibilities encountered on a daily basis. FEPA is your partner and prepares at great length to assist you in your daily endeavors as well as during times of crisis. We are only as good as our membership and require your input and suggestions to represent you with the proper vigor.

During our last Executive Board meeting I indicated that during my

term as FEPA President, in addi-tion to the legislative, financial, and administrative rule issues, I want to pay special attention to our Basic Academy, our higher education ef-fort, and the ways to research and recover revenue loss. The members of your Executive Committee, Board of Directors, your Area Governors and their Alternates are your con-duit to your Association’s priorities for member services and assistance. Please use these entities as your tools and, as such, take care of them by supporting and providing them

with the information they need to serve the organization on your behalf.

A great opportunity is just around the corner with FEPA’s Mid-Year Work Session July 24-26, 2013 in Clearwater Beach. Your attendance and participation with the many committees is essential for the success of our programs. Remembering that we are a multi-jurisdictional and multi-discipline organization, ALL jurisdictions are encouraged to engage for a com-plete picture of how we can better serve the citizens of Florida. So, I ask you to participate to increase the viability and strength of this great organization.

Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you in May at the Governor’s Hurricane Confer-ence.

Sincerely,Ron Mills. FPEMPresident

The Division of Emergency Management’s Emergen-cy Management Advisory Working Group met Friday, February 1, 2013 in Orlando Florida at the conclu-

sion of the FEPA Annual Meeting and Work Session. One of the action items for the Division was to act on FEPA’s recommendations for new members for the Working Group for FEPA Areas 1, 3, and 5.

Steve Mewborn, Santa Rosa County Emergency Management, has been appointed to fill the Region 1 seat vacated by Roger Hagan’s, Washington County Emer-gency Management, recent retirement. Kevin Peters, Leon County Emergency Management, has been ap-pointed to replace Richard Smith, also with Leon County Emergency Management, who is retiring, as the Region 2 representative on the working group. A. Ryan Williams, Volusia County Emergency Management, fills the Region

5 seat previously held by Jerry Smith, who recently moved from Lake County Emergency Management to serve as the Interim Executive Director of Lake Emergency Medical Services. In addition to these four Area representatives, newly installed FEPA President, Ron Mills, replaces FEPA Past-President Anne M. Miller as the FEPA representative on the working group.

All four gentlemen are Florida Professional Emergen-cy Managers and active FEPA members. FEPA thanks the Florida Division of Emergency Management for accepting the Association’s recommendation to fill these positions and is confident that Ron, Steve, Kevin and Ryan will do an outstanding job representing their constituents. FEPA thanks outgoing working group members for their tre-mendous service and commitment to enhancing Florida’s statewide emergency management system.

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The Florida Emergency Preparedness Associa-tion (FEPA) conducted its 2013 Annual Meeting and Work Session January 28 through February 1, 2013 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. More than 350 attendees, exhibitors, instructors and speakers participated in the full week of activities. Con-sistent with FEPA tradition, Monday and Tuesday of the Annual Meeting week were dedicated to training sessions. Training offered included three Advanced Professional Series Courses, two FEPA specific training programs on Caring for the Elderly in Disasters and Strategic Planning for Emergency Managers and a full day Cyber Security Training Session. More than 100 Annual Meeting at-tendees took part in the Training Sessions. FEPA thanks the training session instructors for their support of the Annual Meeting.

Wednesday’s Opening General Session in-cluded welcoming remarks from FEPA President Anne M. Miller, Manny Soto, City of Orlando Emer-gency Management, Byron Brooks, City of Orlando Chief Executive Officer and Daniel Stoecker from the National Volunteer Agencies Active in Disaster (VOAD). Following these introductory remarks, Mr. Al Sandrik, National Weather Service Jackson-ville, introduced the Opening Session Keynote Speaker, Mr. Paul Daley, Emergency Management Coordinator, Toms River New Jersey. Toms River experienced tremendous impacts from Super-storm Sandy and Mr. Daley’s remarks on response,

FEPA 2013 Annual Meeting

recovery and rebuilding from a local “boots on the ground” perspective were extremely well received by the audience. So well received in fact, that the Question and Answer discussion that followed carried over into the scheduled lunch break! FEPA thanks Mr. Sandrik, a former Toms River resident and long-time friend of Mr. Daley for his assistance in bringing Paul to the 2013 Annual Meeting.

Thursday’s General Session included Mr. Stoeck-er returning to the dais for a program update on National VOAD programs and activities. Following his remarks, Mr. Charlie Craig, Volusia County Emer-gency Management Director, introduced Dr. Bonnie Sorensen, Volusia County Health Department, for the Thursday Keynote Presentation. Dr. Sorensen served as the Incident Commander for the Duval County Tuberculosis outbreak and provided partici-pants with the background and circumstances of the outbreak. Dr. Sorensen explained the impor-tance of effective crisis communication for emer-gency events particularly those with the unique circumstances and tremendous media attention of the tuberculosis outbreak. Friday’s Closing Session included remarks from Division of Emergency Man-agement Director Bryan Koon who updated attend-ees on a variety of state and federal emergency management issues.

Wednesday and Thursday afternoons of Annual Meeting week focused on workshop and roundtable sessions with topics as varied as Mosquito Abatement

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to How to Overcome Odds to Build an Emergency Opera-tions Center. Workshops that highlight practical emer-gency management applications and lessons learned continue to be a focus of the FEPA Annual Meeting. For 2013 these included Damage Assessment and federal Public Assistance experiences from the 2012 Hurricane Season, emergency management technology applica-tions and EOC information and resource management systems and experiences from the Tampa Bay Regional Team’s response to Superstorm Sandy.

Time during the week was also set aside to conduct a FEPA County Emergency Management Program Director Caucus and to conduct FEPA Area meetings. These ses-sions allowed emergency managers to exchange informa-tion on issues and projects affecting their programs and geographic areas. For the Area Meetings, the seven FEPA regions were grouped to further encourage information sharing across FEPA areas. Both sets of forums were well received by participants and generated great discussions that continued through the week of activities.

The FEPA Exhibit Hall was open Tuesday evening for a reception to allow attendees to get a preview of the emergency management related equipment and services highlighted by vendors. The Exhibit Hall remained open until Thursday afternoon and served as the hub of activ-ity for participants to see the latest advances in tech-nology, support services and emergency management tools. Wednesday’s “Welcome Reception” was conducted in the Exhibit Hall and allowed Annual Meeting attend-ees to network and become re-acquainted in a relaxed environment. Thursday’s “Officers Reception” provided a similar opportunity for attendees to re-connect, meet new friends and colleagues and continue discussions from the day’s program. FEPA thanks all the Exhibitor and Sponsors who helped to make the 2013 Annual Meeting a tremendous success.

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2013 Elected OfficersFEPA President Ron MillsFEPA President-Elect Scott GarnerFEPA Secretary Shayne MorganFEPA Treasurer John WardFEPA Past-President Anne M. Miller

2013 FEPA Area Governors and Alternates – Areas 1, 3, 5 and 7Area 1 Governor John DoshArea 1 Alternate Governor Randy McDaniel

Area 3 Governor Adam FairclothArea 3 Alternate Governor Ryan Simpson

Area 5 Governor Alan HarrisArea 5 Alternate Governor John Scott

Area 7 Governor Jeff GoldbergArea 7 Alternate Governor Mary Blakeney

FEPA 2013 Elections

FEPA conducted its 2013 Elections at the Annual General Membership Business Meeting held at the FEPA Annual Meeting and Work Session in Orlando, Florida. Consistent with Association by-laws and poli-cies and procedures the nomination period for Elected Officers was open in November 2012 and candidate profiles were circulated to members prior to the Elec-tion. Mr. Jerry Smith, FEPA Past-President and FEPA Nominating Committee Chair, presided over the elec-tion at the Business Meeting. Ballots were circulated to members in attendance and collected for tabula-tion. Absentee ballots cast by members who could not attend the Annual Meeting were also included in the count.

As the ballots were being certified and counted, Mr. Smith asked members in Areas 1, 3, 5 and 7 to caucus to select their Area Governors and Alternate Governors for the 2013-15 term. Because Area Gov-ernors serve two year terms, selection of Governors and Alternates serving even-numbered Areas will take place at the 2014 Annual Meeting. In addition, Area 2 FEPA members met to select a provisional Area 2 Alternate Governor as the incumbent recently left his emergency management employment. The results of the 2013 Election are listed below. FEPA thanks all the candidates and nominees for their willingness to serve their Association!

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FEPA Meetings at the FEPA Annual Meeting

The 2013 FEPA Annual Meeting and Work Session provided the Associa-tion with an opportunity to conduct

several meetings to work on Association business and continue to develop FEPA programs and member services. The FEPA Board of Directors met Tuesday, January 29, 2013 to act on FEPA business items. Among the actions taken by the Board was the discussion and adoption of the FEPA 2013-14 budget and updates from FEPA Committees and liaisons.

On Wednesday, January 30, 2013 the FEPA Annual Membership Business Meeting was conducted. At the meeting FEPA member received progress reports on FEPA’s programs including the 2013 Annual Meeting, the 2013 FEPA Basic Academy and the FEPA Certification Program. Executive Director Eve Rainey briefed FEPA members on the upcoming 2013 Regular Legislative Session and the Division of Emergency Management’s Legislative Budget request for the 2013-14 Fiscal Year. She also updated members on the Board’s adoption of the 2013 FEPA Budget and specific revenue streams and approved expenditures for the upcoming year. Secretary Mary Blakeney updated meeting participants on the current status of FEPA Membership as well as the upcoming FEPA Awards Ceremony. The Annual Membership Business Meeting concluded with the Election of 2013 FEPA Officers and Area Governors for Areas 1, 3, 5 and 7.

FEPA’s next Board and General Mem-bership Meetings will be held in conjunc-tion with the Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference scheduled for May 6-10, 2013 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

WHEN: July24-26,2013WHERE: HiltonClearwaterBeach 400MandalayAvenue ClearwaterBeach,FloridaROOMRATE: FEPARate$125/night,includesself-parking Roomblockisopenandreservationsbeingaccepted CalltheHotelDirectlyat727-461-3222Registration,agendaandscheduleinformationavailablesoonontheFEPAWebsitewww.fepa.org

Save the Date FEPA Mid-Year Work Session

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Chaplain’sChatBy Roger Hagan

Ikeep looking at the calendar to be sure Spring is here. We are getting deeper into spring and the weather forecasters keep talking about snow and freezing rain across much of the country and we are still have nights in the 30s where I live. Believe me when I say anything below 65, sunshine, and calm is still too cold. I grew up hearing the wisdom of the aged say “You can ex-pect cold weather anytime from two weeks before Easter until two weeks after Easter”. We didn’t have groundhogs where I came

from but if you want to know when Winter is over with you watch grape/scuppernong vines. When they bud and put on growth cold weather is over.

New Year’s Day followed by Spring/Easter always signifies new beginnings – starting over – going to the next step. There is always something exciting and intriguing about the new. Let me take a few minutes to congratulate our new officers and our returning Board members for their new terms. Those of you that were able to make the FEPA Annual Meeting know we had a great venue and a great program. And just like Spring our new slate of Officers have started a New Year and will take us to the next step.

In the New Testament I find two spiri-tual truths that I think can have a natural in-terpretation. When writing to the Philippi-ans the Apostle Paul said, “… this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are be-hind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before…” The writer of Hebrews whom I believe was also Paul said, “There-fore leaving the principles of the doctrine … let us go on unto perfection (maturity); not laying again the foundation…” In the

first I believe Paul is saying that the past has passed. We can neither rest on our laurels of victory nor be halted by our setbacks. We have new opportunities and we need to reach out to the fu-ture. Secondly we need to understand that when the writer says “leaving” he doesn’t mean abandoning. He means leaving vertically and not horizontally. In today’s language he is saying “Don’t reinvent the wheel”. We have worked hard to establish programs, policies, and philosophies, we have embraced them, we firmly agree on who we are and what we stand for as an Association. Every time we meet we shouldn’t have to lay the foundation all over again. We need to advance (perfect/mature) the goals and objectives of the Association.

Your kids are becoming you, but your grandchildren are perfect! Going out is good. Coming home is better! You forget names, but it’s OK because other people forgot they even knew you! You realize you’re never going to be really good at anything, especially golf. The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care

that you don’t care to do them anymore. You sleep better

on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It’s called “pre-sleep”. You miss the days when everything worked with just an “ON” and “OFF” switch. You tend to use more 4 letter words ... “what?”...”when?” Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it’s not safe to wear it anywhere. You notice every-thing they sell in stores is “sleeveless”! What used to be freckles are now liver spots. Everybody whispers. You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear. But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

Stay well, “OLD FRIEND!” Share this with other “Old Friends!” and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!

See you soon in Ft. Lauderdale and Clearwater Beach!

Live happy in 2013! Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, yet the youngest you’ll ever be so — enjoy this day while it lasts.

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support and contributions to the success of the 2012 Basic Emergency Manage-ment Academy.

The Awards Ceremony next focused on the FEPA/DEM Instructor Recognition Program and highlighted the latest group of emergency management trainers who have been designated as Master, General or Appren-

tice instructors under the joint program. Sec-retary Blakeney returned to the dais to explain the FEPA Award procedures and thank the FEPA Area Governors and Alternates who comprise the FEPA Awards Committee for

their difficult work in selecting recipients for each cat-egory based on the numerous nominations received. The complete list of 2013 FEPA Award Recipients is listed below. FEPA congratulates all nominees and award recipi-ents for their tremendous accomplishments.

FEPA Distinguished Service AwardsLaurie Feagans, Manatee County Emergency ManagementRoger Hagan, Washington County Emergency ManagementRichard Smith, Leon County Emergency Management

FEPA Legislative Achievement AwardSenator Bill Nelson

FEPA Volunteer AwardRick Caravona, Pasco County Emergency Management

FEPA Corporate AwardTim Mooney, AshBritt Environmental

FEPA Media AwardOlga Aymat, WTMO Channel 40, Telemundo Orlando

FEPA “Chad Reed” Emergency Management Professional of the Year AwardRodney Andreasen, Jackson County Emergency Management

FEPA 2013 Awards Ceremony

Thursday morning, Janu-ary 31, 2103 marked one of the highlights of the FEPA Annual Meeting and Work Session – the Annual Awards Ceremony. Annual meeting participants packed the General Session Ball-room to honor those who had made significant contri-butions to their emergency management communities over the past year and to recognize those who had furthered their professional de-velopment goals. FEPA Secretary and Awards Com-mittee Chair, Mary Blakeney, served as the emcee for the Awards Ceremony and

presided over the proceed-ings.

The first recipients rec-ognized during the ceremony were FEPA members who had been certi-fied or recerti-fied under the

Association’s Certification Program. As Certification Commission Sec-retary Angela Allen announced the names of the “Class of 2013” and asked them to come forward, Commission Chair Lee Newsome, Vice-Chair Paul Winter and FEPA Of-ficers greeted and congratulated each member for their accomplishment. Next the graduates of the FEPA 2012 Basic Emergency Management Academy were recog-nized and commended. The 2012 Academy was the first one conducted under the revised format where “cadets” train, bunk, eat and exercise in a County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) setting. The week of intensive instruction and practical exercises mimics a real world deployment in support of county EOC operations. Escam-bia County Emergency Management Chief John Dosh and his team were also specifically acknowledged for their

Certification Recipients

Award Recipients

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TCertification Corner

he Certification Commission reviewed 22 applica-tions for the Class of 2012. Eighteen (18) of those were approved and recognized at the FEPA Annual Awards Ceremony in January 2013.

Congratulations to the following recipients of certification: FPEM FAEM ReCertificationMatt Adair Amy KimberlyGary FriedmanBetti Johnson John ScottPenni Weinstein-Long

FPEM ReCertification FAEMLynn Abel Dustin HinkelWilliam AbernathyRichard BermanJeff GoldbergLarry LaHueScott NelsonT. Patrick O’NeilSteve SimpsonAngela ColgroveHolley WadeJudd Wright

APPLICATIONS CAN NOW ONLY BE SUBMITED ELECTRONICALY

The Commission has been working toward offering electronic application submittal for more than a year and it’s now available. In an effort to maximize efficiency in the application review process, effective February 1, 2013, all applications must be submitted electronically. Instructions on how to do so are provided on the Certifi-cation Page on the FEPA web site.

FEPA Certification is highly recognized in the Emer-gency Management profession and many Florida Emer-gency Management agencies require FEPA Certification to be considered for employment.

If you are interested in obtaining any of the offered certifications, refer to the Certification Application for a complete listing of requirements and chose the certifica-tion that works best for you. Applications are accepted at anytime.

Certifications are good for five years. This year, there are forty-four (44) individuals due for recertification. Recertification is important in order to show that we, as emergency managers, are continuing our professional development and continuing our contributions to the emergency management community. Recertification ap-plications must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST December 1, 2013 to be considered for this Class year.

If there are any questions with regards to the FEPA Certification Program or the application process, please feel free to contact any of the Certification Commis-sioners or contact Lee Newsome, Chairman of the FEPA Certification Commission.

T

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activities of the Academy through a blog published by FEPA Area 4 Alternate Governor, Paul Womble. The blog included highlights of the day’s instruction as well as pictures of cadets “in action” during hands on activities.

FEPA President Ron Mills and President-Elect Scott Garner, both FEPA Basic Academy alumni, ad-dressed the cadets at the March 9, 2013 Graduation Ceremony to congratulate them on their hard work and accomplishments. Division of Emergency Management Direc-tor Bryan Koon sent similar praise to Academy graduates via his video message that was aired at gradua-tion.

FEPA sends a special note of thanks to Academy Program Direc-tor, Billy Abernathy for his dedica-tion to ensuring the Academy’s suc-cess and to Mr. Tom Daly, St. Lucie County Emergency Management, for serving as the host location for the 2013 program. FEPA also thanks all the Academy instructors and pre-senters who volunteer their time to serve as the instructor cadre. The FEPA Basic Emergency Management Academy is one of the Association’s most successful and well-regarded programs and allows the member-ship to develop the next group of emergency management leaders.

FEPA 2013 Basic Emergency Management Academy

The 2013 FEPA Basic Emergency Management Academy was conduct-ed March 3-9, 2013 at the St. Lucie County Emergency Operations Cen-ter (EOC) in Fort Pierce, Florida. The 2013 Academy marked the second year of the revised Academy format which uses a local EOC as the train-ing venue to include feeding, lodging and exercise activities. Twenty-eight Academy “cadets’ took part in the unique seven day curriculum that included three formal emergency management training classes, in-struction on Florida specific laws and administrative rules affecting local emergency management programs, practical application of Incident Com-mand System (ICS) procedures and concepts and multiple team building exercises.

Using a local EOC as the train-ing venue reinforces the Academy curriculum and mimics a real world deployment to support a local emergency management agency. Cadets are organized into teams and work within standard ICS groupings throughout the week of Academy activities. The unique setting and plan of instruction of the FEPA Basic Academy creates a bond among each class’ cadets that lasts throughout their professional emergency man-agement careers. FEPA members could follow the daily events and

Twenty-eight

Academy “cadets’

took part in the

unique seven day

curriculum ...

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Cabinet Recognizes FEPA “Chad Reed” Emergency Manager of the Year

On Tuesday, March 19, 2013 the Governor and Cabinet recognized FEPA “Chad Reed” Emergency Manager of the Year Rodney Andreasen as part of the Annual Fire Service Award Ceremony. Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater introduced the Fire Service Award winners and described their accomplishments that led to their recognition. Mr. Andreasen serves as the Director of the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency and was nominated for the Award for his years of dedicated service and accomplish-ments to promote community safety.

The FEPA “Chad Reed” Award is the Association’s highest honor and is presented in conjunction with the FEPA Annual Awards Program. The award is named in honor of Chad Reed, former Dixie County Emergency Management Director and FEPA 2004 President who was tragically killed in the line of duty. The annual award is selected based on nominations from FEPA members and reviewed by the FEPA Awards Committee. The award is particularly cherished by recipients as it represents the recognition of their peers in the emergency management profession.

A reception to honor the Fire Service Award Winners and their families was held on the 22nd Floor of the Capitol the evening before the Cabinet meeting. FEPA Board Member, Chaplain and former Emergency Manager of the Year, Roger Hagan, nominated Mr. Andreasen for the FEPA Award and accompanied him during the Tallahassee ceremonies. FEPA congratulates Rodney Andreasen for this extraordinary recognition and for his service to Florida’s statewide emergency management system.

The award is particularly

cherished by recipients

as it represents the

recognition of their peers

in the emergency

management profession.

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2013 Regular Legislative Session

The 2013 Florida Legislative Session began on Tuesday, March 5, 2013 and is scheduled to continue through Friday, May 3, 2013. Although March 5th marked the official beginning of Session,

Legislative Committees have been working since the November 2012 Organizational Session. During the 2013 Session FEPA will continue to track budget and substantive issues affecting FEPA members’ agencies and organizations. Each week during session a “FEPA Legislative Up-date” is circulated to members through the Area Governors and is posted on the Governmental Affairs Section of the FEPA website www.fepa.org.

A listing of key emergency management related Legislative committees with their members and the geographic areas of the state they represent is also located in the Governmental Affairs Section of the website. Please take time to review the listing to see if members in your areas serve on the key commit-tees. Even if your Legislator is not a member of one of the specific emergency man-agement committees, please take time to visit your elected officials and their staff in their district offices to let them know the importance of emergency management funding and policy issues that affect your programs.

If you know of a bill or issue that is not being tracked on the FEPA Legislative Update and should be included, please email FEPA Executive Director Eve Rainey at erainey@fepa.org. FEPA includes a broad multi discipline and jurisdiction membership base, so the legislative actions of interest to members can be diverse. In addition to Florida Legislative actions, FEPA continues to track national emergency management issues, particularly those affecting the federal budget, proposed changes to the Stafford Act and other Federal Emergency Management Agency program and policy changes. As information on these federal actions becomes available information will be shared with FEPA members through the Area Governors and the website. Please let FEPA know of any issues or legislative actions of interest to you.

FEPA Conducts Executive Level Meetings

President Ron Mills presided over the February 19, 2013 meeting of the newly seated FEPA Ex-ecutive Committee meeting that was held at the Columbia County Emergency Operations Center in Lake City. The face to face meeting allowed the FEPA 2013 slate of elected officers to receive

updates on Association business and provided President Mills with an opportunity to discuss his priorities and goals for the year. At the meeting, Mr. Mills discussed his appointments of FEPA Com-mittee and Sub-Committee Chairs and liaisons to allied agencies and organizations. Newly appointed FEPA Parliamentarian, Mr. Ed Ward, attended the February 19th meeting to support Committee ac-tions consistent with the Association’s By-Laws and Administrative Policies and Procedures.

On March 6, 2013 President Mills met with Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon on a host of issues. The meeting allowed Mr. Mills to share his priorities for his term as President as well as to discuss a compilation of specific FEPA issues with the Director. Many of the subjects iden-tified were gathered from presentations, conversations and discussions that took place at the FEPA County Emergency Management Program Director and Area Meetings conducted at the 2013 Annual Meeting and Work Session and the Emergency Management Advisory Working Group Meeting con-ducted on February 1, 2013. President Mills emphasized to Director Koon FEPA’s continued interest in working closely with the Division on projects and initiatives to enhance community safety across the state and reminded the Director that the Association’s strength is the tremendous experience, ex-pertise and professional dedication of its members. Through FEPA, the Division has access to a broad depth of knowledge and assistance.

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Features

• A 4,000-square-foot emer-gency operations center

• A 6,500-square-foot 9-1-1 emergency dispatch center

• Computerized building man-agement system

• State-of-the-art communica-tions technology and energy systems

• Energy-saving technology• Helicopter landing area• Citizens information center• News media broadcast room

and satellite truck hook-up• Ham radio center• 80-foot backup radio tower• Backup generators• Staff offices, meeting rooms

and a Volusia County Council liaison room

• Kitchen and cafeteria• Bunk rooms for emergency

workers• Parking for 280 vehicles

Volusia County Opens New Facility

The Emergency Operations and Sheriff’s Communications Center strengthens Volusia County’s commitment to protect public safety and consolidate emergency dispatch services.

The 43,000-square-foot, $21 million facility serves as the county’s consolidated public dispatch center and provides a central location for disaster response officials to make strategic decisions during emergencies such as hurricanes, civil unrest, wildfires and mass casualty incidents.

The building features separate, but adjoining, areas for the Sheriff’s Communications Center and the Emergency Operations Center to improve efficiency and maximize the joint use of rooms and facilities.

The building is designed to withstand 180 mph winds and an EF3 tornado. As recommended by the U.S. Department of Defense, a three-foot-high concrete barrier creates a separation of 82 feet between vehicular access and the building.

The emergency operations center can hold 90 support staff during disasters.

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Columbia County Conducts Active Shooter Exercise

by Shayne Morgan

Columbia County Emergency Management, along with The Management Experts, LLC, recently conducted a functional exercise dealing with an active shooter on a school campus. Richardson Middle School in Lake City was the site of the exercise that took place on March 13, 2013. An early release day was chosen as the exercise date to minimize the impact on the student’s school day. Planning for this exercise began in November of 2012 and the exercise planning group determined that an ac-tive shooter scenario was appropriate considering the tragic events that took place in Newtown, Connecticut in December, 2012. A mobile meth lab component was also incorporated into the exercise, to assess the hazardous materials capabilities of the local fire departments and to complicate exercise play. In addition, the Columbia County School district used the scenario to test their evacuation plan for the school. This component was conducted and evaluated by school district staff.

The agencies that participated in the exercise in-cluded the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Combined Communications Center, Lake City Po-lice Department, Lake City Fire Department, the Columbia County School District, Lifeguard Ambulance, Century Ambulance, Florida Department of Transportation and the American Red Cross. The scenario started at 9:00 am the

continued on next page

In addition, the Columbia County School district used the scenario to test their evacuation plan for

the school.

Columbia County Shooter Exercise continued

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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

The Florida EmergencyPreparedness Association, Inc.

400 Capital Circle, SESuite 18-263

Tallahassee, FL 32301850/274-1835

email: fepa@fepa.org

Eve RaineyExecutive Director

“Serving Emergency Preparedness in Florida Since 1956”

FEPA400 Capital Circle SESuite 18-263Tallahassee, FL 32301

FORWARDING & ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Serving Emergency Preparedness in Florida Since 1956morning of March 13th, when the “shooter” arrived on campus and continued a domestic disturbance with his wife who was also the school nurse. The “shooter” made his way through the main office and after shooting several individuals exited out of the back door of the front office and headed across campus to the guidance office. The “gunman” was apprehended, but the scenario was not over. During the sweep of the school for a potential “second shooter” a mobile meth lab was set off. Lake City Fire Department responded to assess the green smoke that was flowing out of the back of the suspect’s pickup truck. As a result of the mobile meth lab explosion, the school tested their evacuation plans, and removed the classes of the middle school’s three grades levels out of their classrooms to the back gate that would be used for evacuation if a real event was to occur.

All responding agencies involved used Southside Baptist Church, located about a quarter of a mile east of the school, as their staging area for simulat-ing response times. Because the school is located off of a busy roadway, it was decided that staging personnel was the appropriate action for this ex-ercise so that responders did not alarm those that would be travelling in the area for their regular day-to-day business. The scenario wrapped up before lunch and the agencies that participated in the event held an after action briefing to discuss the “good, the bad and the ugly” of the morning’s events. After students were released for the day, law enforcement officers contin-ued to do on-scene tactical training at the middle school. In all, the Columbia County exercise provided a realistic training environment for a coordinated multi-discipline response.