This time of year can get very busy with the winding down of summer and start of school, and slipping back into a fall routine (while wondering if Washington will get rid of daylight saving time). But there’s one thing we can’t afford to put off and that’s storm preparedness as we move into the busy part of the storm season over the next few months.

I recently joined a call with Governor DeSantis’ Faith and Community Initiative Office with other like-minded faith and community leaders to hear about Florida’s emergency management strategy with Division of Emergency Management (DEM) Director Kevin Guthrie. I’m happy to share the efforts and resources offered by DEM to help you be prepared this hurricane season. 

DEM is Florida’s emergency management arm that plans for and responds to both natural and man-made disasters. Being the state’s liaison in emergency preparedness, DEM collaborates with federal (i.e., FEMA) and local agencies (i.e., cities, counties), and provides assistance to local communities in ensuring their needs are prepared for in the event of a disaster. One of the things I love most about DEM’s strategy is their recognition that no two communities are the same—where they go the extra mile to collaborate with community partners on the ground to meet their unique needs. For example, they partner with local food banks, the faith community, and nonprofit organizations to be a first point of contact to delegate resources as needed to Floridians. This shows that loving one another is not specific to any level of government, sector, or person—it is simply the divine principle of loving your neighbor as yourself. However, the opportunity to take part in the mission isn’t just limited to officials—Floridians wanting to volunteer can sign up with DEM’s partner Volunteer Florida at volunteer.volunteerflorida.org/search.

DEM offers various resources on how to prepare for and seek assistance for a disaster that impacted your area. Each hurricane season, it is recommended that families and businesses prepare a plan and supply kit in the event of an emergency. Part of preparing a plan entails familiarizing yourself with your local emergency management office (usually held within your local city and county agencies) as well as local community partners (i.e., food banks, resource centers). You can locate your local county management website at FloridaDisasters.org/counties. Signing up for emergency weather alerts (often through text messages or emails) either through your local municipality and/or AlertFlorida is also a great way to make sure you are informed of any updates during an emergency. It’s also critical to know your home’s ability to withstand severe weather and your evacuation zone, should an evacuation order be issued in your area. You should also take note of any family members that have special needs, where DEM has a Special Needs Registry for individuals who need support in the event of an emergency, such as needing electricity to operate medical equipment, transportation to evacuate due to a medical condition, and needing assistance in accessing medication. The registry can be found at https://snr.flhealthresponse.com. Last but certainly not least, you should build a disaster supply kit according to your needs that should last you at least seven days. For a checklist of items to include in your kit as well as additional resources, visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/.  

If you haven’t already, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of these resources to prepare you and your family for any disasters we may have this season. I commend Director Guthrie for his leadership and the sacrifices he and his team have made to help save lives and keep Floridians safe.