Florida Grant Effectiveness Case Study 2018

Overview

In 2018, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducted a grant effectiveness case study in Florida to understand the state’s use of grant funds to increase its ability to respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of natural and man-made disasters and real-world events. Specifically, FEMA examined how Florida invested Federal, state, and local funds to address lessons learned from previous disasters to close capability gaps, and whether these investments resulted in improved preparedness ahead of Hurricane Irma in 2017. FEMA also examined the processes that Florida and its local jurisdictions use to allocate and prioritize FEMA grant investments. Additionally, FEMA solicited feedback from Florida and its local jurisdictions to inform future improvements to the grant programs.

Overall, the case study found that FEMA grant-funded investments positively impacted the response to Hurricane Irma and other real-world events. Many of the investments highlighted in this case study were the culmination of multiple years of careful planning and used a combination of Federal, State, and local funds. Florida prioritizes grant investments based on regional and statewide initiatives. In addition, collaboration across Federal, State and local entities enabled stakeholders to share technical expertise and specialized equipment across jurisdictional and geographic boundaries.

FEMA collected information for the case study using structured interviews conducted through email, phone calls, and site visits during August and September 2018 with representatives from:

  • The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM)
  • The Florida State Emergency Response Team (SERT)
  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
  • The Domestic Security Oversight Council (DSOC) and Regional Domestic Security Task Forces (RDSTFs)
  • Brevard County
  • Collier County
  • Lee County
  • Monroe County
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)
  • Orange County
  • Orlando UASI
  • Seminole County
  • Tampa UASI

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