On Wednesday, Florida deployed a nine-person State All-Hazards Incident Management Team made up of individuals from the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) as well as Clay, St. Johns, and Flagler counties to Kentucky to support the tornado outbreak response efforts.
The deployment team consists of an Incident Commander, Public Information Officer, Liaison Officer, Operations Section Chief, Deputy Operations Section Chief, Plans Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, and two State of Florida Liaisons. The team will be embedded in the Kentucky State Emergency Operations Center and provide operational support to the Kentucky Emergency Management division. The team is anticipating a 14-day deployment.
“Earlier this week, we made it clear that Florida would not hesitate to support states impacted by the devastating tornado outbreak,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This team is made up of dedicated public servants who are willing to work through the holidays and provide aid to a state in need. I’m proud that we’re able to deploy this team quickly and help impacted areas begin their recovery efforts.”
“All-Hazards Incident Management Teams are trained to provide support where it’s needed,” said FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie. “They’re adaptable, qualified, and are always ready to answer the call for help. Through this deployment, we’ll continue coordinating with our emergency management partners and work to fulfill requests for assistance.”
FDEM is coordinating the deployment under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). The EMAC is a national mutual aid system that allows states to share resources from all disciplines, protect personnel who deploy, and be reimbursed for mission-related costs.
