Emergency Management
and Response
The Division of State Fire
Marshal is the lead agency for two Emergency Support Functions (ESF) at the
State Emergency
Operations Center (SEOC) during a disaster or state emergency. The
Division is responsible for the management and staffing of ESF 4
(Firefighting) and ESF 9 (Search and Rescue) at the SEOC as mandated by the
State of Florida Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
The Division accomplishes
this responsibility through a partnership with the Florida Division of
Forestry and the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association, both of which supply
personnel at the SEOC as part of the staffing plan. Personnel are assigned
from all of the Division's Bureaus and are responsible for:
-
Verifying requests for
resources and information from impacted local governments;
-
Ensuring that appropriate
assistance is provided;
-
Ordering the resource;
-
Tracking and documenting
the resource;
-
Estimating the cost
associated with the resource request;
-
Ensuring the resource has
the necessary logistical support to fulfill the assigned mission; and,
-
Ensuring relief is provided
for any resource necessary for an extended operation.
In addition, State Fire
Marshal personnel assigned to the SEOC coordinate with Law Enforcement (ESF
16), Military Support (ESF 13), Health and Medical (ESF 8) and Hazardous
Materials (ESF 10). There are other ESFs in the SEOC that either supply
information or receive information from ESF's 4 and 9.
The coordinated response and
management of statewide fire service resources is accomplished using the
Florida
Fire Chiefs' Association Statewide Emergency Response Plan (SERP). This plan was
developed shortly after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and has been used
extensively since that time. Every year this plan is reviewed for necessary
revisions by a committee designated by the President of the Florida Fire
Chiefs' Association. Les Hallman,
Director of the Division of State Fire
Marshal is the Division's representative on this committee. The Division of
State Fire Marshal uses the Incident Management System as a standard for SEOC operations. Training in emergency management is an ongoing, cooperative
effort with the four partners: the Division of State Fire Marshal, the
Florida Division of
Forestry, the Florida Fire
Chiefs' Association and the
Division of Emergency
Management.
In addition to
responsibilities at the SEOC, the Division of State Fire Marshal also staffs
multiple teams of Division personnel to respond to the disaster area and
perform search and rescue duties, debris removal, road clearing and damage
assessment. These teams are comprised of personnel from all three bureaus of
the Division and are provided with fire apparatus from the Fire College and
communication vans and bobcat tractors from the Bureau of Fire and Arson
Investigations. The teams are self-sufficient for a minimum period of 72
hours. After which, support for the teams is supplied by either the Division
or through the SEOC.
The Division is a major
participant on the Rapid Impact Assessment Team (RIAT) and has personnel
from the Bureau of Fire Prevention assigned to this team. Upon activation,
these personnel report to a pre-designated staging area and report to a team
leader from the Florida National Guard. The RIAT responsibilities are to
identify and evaluate the status of emergency services, such as fire
apparatus, fire stations and facilities, personnel and needs assessment
associated with the fire service in a stricken area. These personnel may be
deployed for up to 96 hours with the Florida National Guard. Upon
fulfillment of their assigned mission, these personnel may be returned to
their original staging area, or the National Guard may transport them to the
locations of other State Fire Marshal units.
Division personnel at the
SEOC are also responsible for providing current information concerning any
disaster or emergency to the management of the Department of Insurance and
other organizations with responsibility for providing disaster assistance.
This is accomplished through the Department of Insurance statewide network
as well as internet e-mail. This computer link assures that the Department
receives timely and accurate information concerning the disaster.
Printable
(Adobe - .pdf) Forms, Links and Excel Equipment Rate Schedules
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