| Official Orders |
F.S. 252.38 Emergency Management powers of political subdivisions (3) (a) (5) – declaring a state of local emergency
Declaring a state of local emergency allows the County to make formal requests to the State of Florida for mutual aid. This can be in the form of any type of assistance from equipment and supplies, to personnel etc.
It also alerts the Governor to the potential for the requests for state resources from Counties that will prompt a Governor’s executive order to declare that a state-wide emergency exists.
This opens the way for federal assistance from FEMA. The local declaration then becomes an important measure to ensure our community receives prompt attention from the state and federal government to needs after the disaster.
The local state of emergency also allows the County to waive the procedures and formalities required by law for entering into contracts, incurring obligations, employment of temporary workers, utilizing volunteer workers, renting equipment, acquisition and distribution, with or without compensation, of supplies, materials, and facilities, and finally, appropriation and expenditure of public funds. This allows the county to perform public work and take whatever prudent action is necessary to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the community (under emergency conditions without the red tape!).
The declaration lasts 7 days and can be renewed by the BCC for 7 day increments.
In Okaloosa County’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, the declaration also formalizes the full activation of the Emergency Operation Center.
In accordance with Okaloosa County Ordinance 91-23, the BCC has also designated the following persons that can act on behalf of the BCC in the following order to include declaring a state of local emergency:
The Chairman; or in his/her absence,
The vice Chairman; or in his/her absence,
The most senior Commissioner (total years of service); or in his/her absence,
The Director of the EM agency; or in his/her absence,
The administrator of the BCC.
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