Fire Rescue
Emergency Management History
In 1950, the U.S. Congress enacted the Civil Defense Act. The purpose was to help prepare Americans for what was felt to be an inevitable war with the Soviet Union, and other communists states. Literature and training was available to the lay public through Civil Defense. Across the nation air raid sirens were installed and tested, and many private citizens built and stocked underground bomb shelters. Civil Defense also trained responders and conducted drills in the use of radiological detection devices and evacuation procedures. Potential target areas were identified and plans developed to cope with a nuclear missile strike. Community leaders made decisions as to how they could best protect its citizens, either sheltering underground or rapidly moving the population to an area of greater safety. In Alachua County it was felt that it was more economical to plan for moving the population west to the more rural counties. This, in part, was based on the fact that a number of persons equal to the population of Gainesville and Alachua County could exit the central part of the city within a short time on the conclusion of a University of Florida home football game! Improvements to highways leading out of Gainesville were, in some cases driven by this plan. In certain cases, those initial plans for evacuation are still included in the Emergency Management plans for some communities.
In 1979, the U.S. Congress created the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the State of Florida enacted Chapter 252 of the Florida Statutes. Chapter 252 would be known as "The State Emergency Management Act" and would set out responsibilities and authorities during declared emergencies. The Governor would have the ultimate authority for response and recovery during declared emergencies and could mobilize resources as necessary.
The Board of County Commissioners, in January of 1986, signed Alachua County Ordinance 86-1. This Ordinance established 27 types of Emergencies in the Alachua County Code and in February of 1987 the Department of Emergency Services was tasked by the County Manager to establish the Office of Emergency Management.
FEMA published the Federal Response Plan (FRP) in April of 1992. The FRP identified functional responsibilities of the Federal Government for Crisis Management (disaster response) and Consequence Management (disaster recovery). The FRP outlined the Emergency Support Functions (ESF) and established both lead and support Federal agencies for each ESF. The State of Florida wrote the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) based on the FRP and identified the State lead and support agencies for the plan. Local governments followed suit and developed their own CEMP's, to complement the State's, and identified local lead and support agencies for their plan. In essence, with local, state and federal plans constructed similarly a local official responsible for a specific function in the plan would be able to quickly coordinate with a state and/or federal counterpart to resolve a local problem.
Locally, the Board of County Commissioners would have the authority to assure response and recovery in the event of a disaster. This authority would be delegated to chief administrative officer for Alachua County, or, the County Manager. The Emergency Manager would answer to the County Manager who worked on behalf of the Board, the would be vested with assembling representatives of the local lead and support agencies outlined in the CEMP and coordinating both Crisis and Consequence Management in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The Emergency Manager would have no operational role or responsibility, and would not direct resources. The role of the EM would be to function as a coordinator and facilitator for the interaction of those with functional responsibility.
Hurricane Andrew made landfall in August of 1992, devastating Dade County. Forty deaths were attributed to the Hurricane, up to 250,000 were left homeless, and losses were estimated at $25 billion. As devastating as the event was, a positive outcome occurred for state and federal Emergency Management. Local, state and federal plans were tested and their value assessed. This event led to a faster evolution for Emergency Management in the State of Florida, as well as for FEMA.
In March of 1993, the "Storm of the Century" formed one evening in the Gulf of Mexico. Though forecasters predicted the storm, none could be accurate in warning of its intensity. Before moving up the eastern part of the U.S., 38 Florida Counties in the North, Central and Panhandle areas of the State were affected by the storm, including Alachua County. In our area 95% of the residents lost electricity, and would remain without power for anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks. One fatality occurred due to a tornado in the LaCrosse area. As a result of the "No Name Storm" the Florida Legislature enacted House Bill 911, the Emergency Management Preparedness and Assistance Act. This established legislation that levied a $2.00 and $4.00 assessment on individual and business insurance (respectively) to fund the development and enhancement of Emergency Management activities throughout the State. The legislation also created a designated catastrophic disaster fund for Florida.
In 1994, Alachua County entered into the Statewide Catastrophic Mutual Aid Agreement with the State of Florida. By signing this Agreement, Alachua County pledged to provide resources on request from the State that could be deployed in areas affected by a catastrophic event. Alachua County would also benefit by receiving mutual aid in the event this area incurred a catastrophic event. This same year, Emergency Management activated the EOC to address the off-site issues of evacuation, sheltering and community-wide response related to a release of 10,000 pounds of the chemical trichlorosilane from Peninsular Chemical Research, Inc. (PCR, Inc.). In November winds and rainfall from Hurricane Gordon caused considerable damage to southern Florida. Under the Mutual Aid Agreement, local EM assisted the affected area with recovery.
In 1995, eleven hurricanes and eight tropical storms formed in the Atlantic Ocean. Emergency Management and the EOC coordinated the response of personnel, equipment and other resources via mutual aid to the affected communities. Nine hurricanes and four tropical storms formed in the Atlantic during 1996. The most notable to affect our area was Hurricane Bertha that passed closed to Jacksonville. The Alachua County EOC was activated when Duval County officials contemplated a mass evacuation of Jacksonville. Also during that year, Hurricane Josephine made landfall in Apalachee Bay with 60-knot winds, 9-foot storm surge, 8.5 inches of rain and causing $65 million in damages. Hurricane Opal and Tropical Storm Erin also made landfall in the panhandle of Florida. The Alachua County EOC coordinated the response of Fire, EMS and Public Works personnel, equipment and supplies to the areas devastated by these storms. Alachua County Emergency Management was also called upon to lend its own expertise in Crisis and Consequence Management to the affected counties, as well.
1997 and the effects of El Nino meant that there would be a "quiet" Hurricane Season of "only" three hurricanes and four tropical storms. However, late in 1997 rains began falling across Florida due to the El Nino phenomenon, and in February of 1998 the Board declared a Local State of Emergency activating the EOC due to rainfall and flooding in Alachua County. The State of Emergency would be renewed several times when twenty homes and one business were flooded. The flooding closed 15 roads, including all commercial truck traffic on U.S. 441 across Paynes Prairie. 150 GRU lift stations were affected, including a 50,000-gallon sewage spill in the Emerald Woods subdivision. EM coordinated the distribution of 160,000 sandbags to the residents of Alachua County, and training on how they could be used effectively.
In June of 1998, the Board again declared a Local State of Emergency and activated the EOC when a wildfire began burning north of the Gainesville Racetrack. Within three day the fire would involve 7,500 acres and threaten the town of Waldo. EM opened shelters for the displaced Waldo residents when the Waldo City Manager and Waldo Chief of Police advise them to evacuate and SR 24 and US 301 in the Waldo area are closed due to the fire and smoke. ACFR, EM and the Division of Forestry coordinate the effort of 250 fire fighter to extinguish the fire.
Within a week of the fire in Waldo, EM was called upon again by the State. The wildfire in Flagler County was deemed uncontrollable, and the State EOC advised the Governor to order Flagler County closed. Alachua County EM operated a combined General and Special Needs Shelter for the Flagler County evacuees. 50 general population, 192 residents with special needs and 40 caregivers were sheltered at Eastside High School for four days. This would be the first Special Needs Shelter ever operated in the State of Florida. Additionally, EM and the EOC coordinated Animal Services and sheltered and fed more than 150 animals evacuated from Flagler County.
Ten hurricanes and four tropical storms formed in the Atlantic Ocean during 1998. Alachua County EM was called upon again, this time to coordinate the response of the Department's Water Rescue Team to the Florida Keys to perform search and rescue after Hurricane Georges makes landfall.
