Florida Division of Emergency Management - History

History

From the 1930s until the mid-1970s, financial assistance to victims of natural disasters came from a variety of federal programs. Recognizing the state's vulnerability to natural disasters, the Florida legislature responded in 1941 by enacting the Florida Civil Defense Council Act, Chapter 202.1.2 Florida Statutes. This Act preceded some ten years of general laws intended to regulate disaster preparedness. The 1941 Act authorized the Governor to establish a State Defense Council by proclamation in times of need or emergency. The Governor appointed members to the Council and served as its chairman.

The Council was to perform as a coordinating body for local, state and Federal civil defense activities. Use of existing facilities, and resources was emphasized as well as formation of defense councils at local levels of government. The Council was authorized to establish regional and local councils as well as looking into interplay among emergency services providers. As part of its duties, the Council was to make legislative recommendations to the Governor. Amendments to the law during 1942 left the original intent untouched.

In 1943, Florida Statute (F.S.) Chapter 21797 was enacted to deal with wartime civil defense needs. Law enforcement and fire services personnel were authorized to enter private property to enforce blackout, and air raid orders.

A separate act in the same year, F.S. 21763, provided for mobilization of fire services to serve the common defense in the event of war. This Act anticipated need for fire services beyond that available in a particular community and specified the rights, powers, and duties of firemen rendering aid outside jurisdictional boundaries.

The Florida Civil Defense Act was adopted in 1951.

The Civil Defense Advisory Board was created in 1965.

The state government was reorganized between 1965 and 1974.

In 1969 the Department of civil defense along with the state civil defense council and the Florida civil defense advisory board was transferred to the Department of Community Affairs. The Division of Emergency Government was created within the Department of Community Affairs.

The modern legislation under which Florida Emergency Management is derived was mostly passed between 1974 and 1979.

In 1984 the Florida Division of Emergency Management was created from a Bureau within the Division of Public Safety Planning and Assistance. This was based, in part, on a reorganization at the federal level in 1979.

In 1992 Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida, revealing the need for a redesign of Florida’s emergency management operations. The Department begins recruiting a new leadership team to head its Division of Emergency Management.

In March 1993 an unnamed superstorm impacted the entire state causing catastrophic damages in 38 counties. The storm demonstrated the vulnerability of Florida to natural disasters and ultimately led to the passage of the Emergency Management Preparedness and Assistance Trust Fund.

In 1994 Florida’s newly created State Emergency Response Team became operational. For the first time in Florida’s history, every state agency had been trained and equipped to work collaboratively during emergencies and to harness their resources to meet the needs of Florida’s disaster victims.

In 1995 Florida’s State Emergency Response Team operations responded when a line of hurricanes and tropical storms battered Florida within months of each other. Among them was Hurricane Opal, one of the ten costliest storms in the nation’s history.

In 1996 after Hurricane Opal, Florida designed a Regional Hurricane Evacuation Plan intended to ensure a safe, timely and coordinated evacuation of Florida’s most populous regions.

In 1997, DCA announced a $21 million plan, “Breaking the Cycle”, that was intended to create disaster-resistant communities throughout the state.

In 1998, the Legislature authorized the Accidental Release Prevention and Risk Management Planning Act. This act implemented the Section 112 (r) of the Clean Air Act (1990) amendment. Florida was the only Emergency Management office in the country to seek delegation for this federal program.

In 1998 the Division received a federal grant that allowed for the purchase of a NOAA Weather Radio for every public school in Florida. The Broward County Emergency Operations Center in Plantation, Florida, was selected as the state’s secondary command center.

In 1998 over 12,000 fire and emergency workers battled wildfires over the summer burning nearly 1/2 million acres (2000 km²) of wild and urban lands. This event was called the most “complex” fire event in history.

In 1998 a landmark agreement for mass migration response was signed by Governor Chiles and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Commissioner.

On September 5, 2003, the State Emergency Response Team became the first state program in the nation to be fully accredited by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP).

In 2004, Florida was struck by a record-setting four major hurricanes: Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Jeanne and Tropical Storm Bonnie.

In 2006, Florida CEM adopted and worked towards state-wide implementation of a common operating grid, USNG (civil counterpart to the Military Grid Reference System). This first of its kind leadership had a National impact; other emergency management agencies local, regional, state, and national begin to solve for a considerable deficiency in consequence management, a universal language of location.