The Florida elected official has at his or her disposal a 36-page guide, The Role of Elected Officials During Disasters, which covers preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation, who to contact and the laws that they should be aware of when taking action.
The guide covers the all-important process of planning, understanding NIMS and the critical roles training and exercise play. The response section urges understanding of the power and limitations of Florida officials based on state statutes, and outlines the disaster declaration process and the different declaration types.
The guide urges officials to understand recovery, the type of assistance available and the depth of the damage assessment process. There are numerous resources listed and last but not least, is a critical little checklist of do’s and don’ts for the elected official.
