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The State of Florida has received a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), allowing the use of federal funds to reimburse response costs to fight the Slope Wildfire in Collier County.

“We are very grateful for the rapid response from FEMA to our request for assistance,” said Bryan W. Koon, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “This Fire Management Assistance Grant will ensure that local and state responders have the resources they need to fight this wildfire and to help save homes and property.”

State emergency and Division of Forestry officials requested the Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for Collier County late Wednesday afternoon and the request was granted early Thursday morning. The Slope Wildfire in Collier County has grown to more than 1,500 acres and is presently threatening Golden Gate Estates.

Federal fire management assistance covers seventy-five percent of eligible fire response costs such as field camps; equipment use; tools, materials and supplies; additional personnel; aircraft utilization, as well mobilization and demobilization activities.

For more information on the Florida Division of Emergency Management and to GET A PLAN!, please visit: www.FloridaDisaster.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/flsert and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.

Florida State Emergency Response Team Information Blog

The Florida Division of Emergency Management received a draft evaluation this week from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the state, in coordination with county partners and Florida Power and Light, has conducted a successful exercise on February 23, 2011 with the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant located in Biscayne Bay, Florida.

“I applaud our state, local and private sector team’s dedication to successfully completing this annual exercise,” said Bryan W. Koon, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “Every individual who participated showed exceptional effort to make this exercise a success.”

The overall objective of the exercise was to assess the level of state and local preparedness in responding to a simulated radiological emergency at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. No Deficiencies or Areas Requiring Corrective Action were identified by the federal evaluators.

Each year, all nuclear power plants (Crystal River, Turkey Point, and Saint Lucie, as well as Farley in Dothan AL), conduct a full-scale exercise with the surrounding counties, state, FEMA, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These exercises ensure all levels of government are well-versed on the plans and procedures needed to respond to an emergency.

For more information on the Florida Division of Emergency Management and to GET A PLAN! please visit: www.FloridaDisaster.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/flsert.

Florida State Emergency Response Team Information Blog

(Contest Winners Left to Right: Joey Engelman, Christopher Taylor, Alfonso Duran, Professor Nimbus Tinkermeister, Sean Reagan, Paul Capone, Garret Johnson, Miranda Shellenbarger)

Lake Buena Vista – Sunny weather greeted residents and visitors at the kickoff for Severe Weather Awareness Week at Downtown Disney on Saturday, January 29, 2011. The Florida Division of Emergency Management partnered with Radio Disney to host a two-hour street party highlighting Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week, which runs from January 31 – February 4, 2011. The week is intended to educate Florida’s residents and visitors on the weather hazards that affect the Sunshine State, and how to be prepared for them. State Meteorologist Amy Godsey joined KidsGetAPlan.com character Professor Nimbus Tinkermeister on stage, to perform weather experiments, games, and trivia designed to teach the audience about weather and preparedness.

The winners of the statewide Poster and Public Service Announcement (PSA) video contests were also in attendance and received awards on stage.

Poster and Public Service Announcement Contests
The Division invited students across the state to participate in a contest to produce preparedness messages that will become part of the Division’s 2011 public awareness campaign.

Miranda Shellenbarger, a 5th grader at Eastside High School in Brooksville, was the poster winner for her entry.

Garret Johnson and Sean Reagan of Diplomat Middle School in Cape Coral were the middle school winners of the PSA video contest, entering a project entitled “Generate Some Smarts!”

Paul Capone, Alfonso Duran, Christopher Taylor and Joey Engelman from Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines won the high school PSA video contest, with the winning message of “Prepare Early!” Both middle and high school winners will work with a professional production team to reproduce their PSA’s for broadcast as part of the Division’s 2011 public awareness campaign. To view the winning public service announcements, visit: www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW/2011/2011contestwinners.html.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management’s website, www.FloridaDisaster.org, will post videos dedicated to each hazard, each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week. The videos describe the types of natural hazards that occur in Florida and what residents and visitors can do to protect their families, homes and businesses from damage.

2011 Severe Weather Awareness Week

Monday, January 31 – Lightning
Tuesday, February 1 – Rip Currents and Marine Hazards
Wednesday, February 2 – Tornadoes and Thunderstorms
Thursday, February 3 – Hurricanes and Flooding
Friday, February 4 – Temperature Extremes and Wildfires

Florida State Emergency Response Team Information Blog

As part of the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week public preparedness campaign, Florida emergency management officials today joined Radio Disney to announce the winners of the annual poster and video public service announcement contests at a kickoff event at Downtown Disney in Lake Buena Vista.

“Severe Weather Awareness Week is designed to educate our residents and visitors about the potential weather hazards that affect the Sunshine State,” said David Halstead, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “I applaud this year’s poster and public service announcement contest winners for their creativity in providing potentially lifesaving disaster preparedness information about these weather hazards.”

More than 800 students statewide participated in the poster and video public service announcement contests, through a partnership with the American Red Cross.

Poster Contest Winners:
1st Place: Miranda Shellenbarger
5th Grade
Eastside Elementary School, Brooksville, Florida

2nd Place: Kaitlyn Boncaro
5th Grade
Forest Lake Elementary School, Deltona, Florida

3rd Place: Virginia Villarreal
5th Grade
Westside Elementary School, Clewiston, Florida

Video PSA Contest Winners:
Middle School Category: Sean Reagan and Garret Johnson
Diplomat Middle School
Cape Coral, Florida

High School Category: Joey Engelman, Christopher Taylor,
Paul Capone, Alfonso Duran
Pembroke Pines Charter High School
Pembroke Pines, Florida

Additional Severe Weather Awareness Week sponsors include the Florida Association of Broadcasters, the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association, the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association, I.D.E.A.S, and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

To learn more about Severe Weather Awareness Week, visit www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW/2011. For more information on the Florida Division of Emergency Management and GET A PLAN!, please visit: www.FloridaDisaster.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/flsert or join our blog at: http://flsertinfo.blogspot.com/.

Florida State Emergency Response Team Information Blog

Florida State Emergency Response Team Information Blog

Florida Division of Emergency Management officials are reminding residents and visitors to the Sunshine State to practice cold weather safety this holiday season.

“Weather forecasts are indicating that we may experience colder than usual temperatures over the next week,” said Division of Emergency Management Director, David Halstead. “As we gather with friends and family to enjoy the holiday season, it is important to keep in mind those cold weather safety tips that could prevent unnecessary injury.”

The following actions are important cold weather safety measures:
• Stay indoors and use safe heating sources.
• Be aware of the fire danger from space heaters and candles, keep such devices away from all flammable materials such as curtains and furniture, and install recommended smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Indoors: Do not use charcoal or other fuel-burning devices, such as grills that produce carbon monoxide. Install at least one carbon monoxide detector per floor in your home.
• Outdoors: Stay dry and in wind-protected areas.
• Wear multiple layers of loose-fitting, warm clothing.
• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids.

December is an excellent time to commit to building a personal disaster supply kit. Individuals and families will benefit from taking the time to put supply items together in a storage container. A collection of food, water, clothing, essential documents, medicines, and cash will form a foundation for safety residents can add to and monitor throughout the year. Weather radios, flashlights, batteries, first-aid kits, smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers are essential supply items that everyone can use. These items are widely available and reasonably priced to fit any budget.

If your home kit is in order, now is the time to refresh the supplies. Although most canned food items last for quite awhile, check the expiration date and consider donating non-expired items to your local food bank or charity. Bottled water should not be stored for prolonged periods but can be used to water plants and Christmas trees.

Disaster Supply Kit Items:

• Water – at least one gallon daily per person for three to seven days

• Food – at least enough for three to seven days:
o non-perishable packaged or canned food/juices
o food for infants or the elderly
o snack foods
o non-electric can opener
o cooking tools and fuel
o paper plates and plastic utensils

• Blankets, pillows, etc.
• Clothing: seasonal, rain gear, sturdy shoes
• First aid kit, medicines, prescription drugs
• Special items for babies and the elderly
• Toiletries, hygiene items, moisture wipes
• Flashlight and batteries
• Battery-operated radio and NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio
• Cash as banks and ATMs may not be open or available for extended periods
• Keys
• Toys, books and games
• Important documents – in a waterproof container
• Insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.
• Tools – keep a set with you
• Fill vehicles with fuel

• Pet care items:
o Proper identification, immunization records, medications
o Ample supply of food and water
o Carrier or cage
o Muzzle and leash

For more information on the Florida Division of Emergency Management and to GET A PLAN!, please visit: www.FloridaDisaster.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/flsertinfo or join our blog at: http://flsertinfo.blogspot.com/.

Florida State Emergency Response Team Information Blog

The Florida Division of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross are reminding Florida students that the deadline to submit entries for the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week poster and public service announcement video contest is Friday, January 7, 2011.

Annual Poster Contest
Fourth and fifth graders in all of Florida’s 67 school districts as well as students who attend private schools or are home-schooled are invited to participate in the statewide poster contest. All entries must be postmarked on or before FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2011 and must arrive at the American Red Cross in Tallahassee no later than MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2011. Winners will be notified by phone. The winners’ artwork is scheduled to be displayed in the State Emergency Operations Center during the first full week of February 2011. Prizes will include tickets for the winner and their family to Walt Disney World, weather radios and many other exciting things to be announced soon. For complete contest rules go to www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW/2011.

Annual Video PSA Contest
Florida middle and high school students in grades 6-8 and 9-12, including students who attend private schools or are home-schooled are invited to produce a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) incorporating a safety or preparedness message about one of the following topics: Hurricane Preparedness, Flood Safety or Building a Disaster Supply Kit.

Final digital videos must be mastered as a DVD for submission to the Division. All entries must be postmarked on or before FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2011 and must arrive at the Florida Division of Emergency Management in Tallahassee no later than MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2011. For complete contest rules and topic information, go to www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW/2011.

There will be one individual or group (limit four people per group) winner chosen for both middle school and high school-level videos. The winning video(s) will be professionally re-produced for broadcast use by the Division of Emergency Management in their statewide public awareness campaign. A production team will come to the winner(s) hometown and will spend a full day shooting the winning PSA, with the winner(s) acting as the project director. Additional prizes will include tickets for the winner and their family to Walt Disney World, weather radios and many other exciting things to be announced soon.

Winners will be announced on January 29, 2011, at a kick-off event for Severe Weather Awareness Week in Central Florida. Winners unable to attend this event will be mailed their additional prizes.

These contests are part of an annual public awareness campaign that also includes the statewide Tornado Drill to be conducted by the National Weather Service Offices in Florida at 10:10 a.m. Eastern Time (9:10 a.m. Central Time), on Wednesday, February 2, 2011.

For more information on Florida’s 2011 Severe Weather Awareness Week go to www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW/2011. For more information on the Florida Division of Emergency Management and to GET A PLAN!, please visit: www.FloridaDisaster.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/flsertinfo or join our blog at: http://flsertinfo.blogspot.com/.

Florida State Emergency Response Team Information Blog