Vol. 13, No. 6, June 2017 |
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SART Participates in Statewide Hurricane Exercise
The 2017 Florida Statewide Hurricane Exercise was held last month at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee.
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) annual exercise tested Florida’s emergency plans and procedures for a potential hurricane landfall. Along with federal, local and private-sector partners, the exercise simulated emergency response efforts managing an evolving hurricane scenario.
The ESF-17 staff actively answered exercise mission requests, attended meetings and coordinated response resources at the SEOC. SART Partner Agencies participated in the exercise via a partner’s conference call and daily situation report
“The 2017 statewide hurricane exercise serves as an opportunity to practice our lessons learned from the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season and to solidify our valuable partnerships in preparation for the upcoming season,” said Bryan W. Koon, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
“As we work with our partners to test our hurricane response plans and make the necessary updates to keep Floridians safe, families should take the opportunity to double-check their own plans and ensure their disaster supply kits are properly stocked.”
UF’s John Haven Attends EVOLSAR International Meeting and Training
Congratulations to John Haven, UF VETS Team Leader, who was selected to attend the European Volunteer Organizations for Search and Rescue (EVOLSAR) meeting in Malta.
Response teams from 18 countries participated in exercises, including the United States, Russia, Malta, Serbia, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Hungary, and Romania.
Three different rescue scenarios were exercised: a building collapse (conducted at a location from a previous earthquake), a rescue of patients from a tower construction crane, and search and rescue of victims from a cliff.
For more information about the courses, and to register, please visit: http://flsarc.org/Training.html
The exercises were a culmination of a multi-year European Union funded project to develop standards and commonality between the volunteer rescue organizations to develop true interoperability – really a step beyond resource typing
FDACS and SART Welcome Laterika Shoemate-Dehaney and LeiAnna Tucker to the team
Laterika Shoemate-Dehaney was hired as a half-time Staff Assistant for the Division of Animal Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Laterika serves as division support for emergency management programs, and assists Dr. Gregory Christy and LeiAnna Tucker with the State Agricultural Response Team (SART) and ESF-17 (Animals and Agriculture) disaster preparedness and response activities.
Prior to joining FDACS, Laterika served the citizens of Florida for nine years as a Government Operations Consultant I with the Florida Department of Revenue. She also served in the Florida Army National Guard for 12 years, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Iraqi Enduring Freedom. Laterika is currently a senior at Florida A&M University pursuing a Bachelors of Health Science in hopes of completing her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree.
Laterika lives in Tallahassee with husband Dion and two daughters, Shauniya and Daija. She may be contacted by email at Laterika.ShoemateDehaney@FreshFromFlorida.com
LeiAnna Tucker has been hired as the new Government Analyst I in the Division of Animal Industry at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). LeiAnna serves as state coordinator for the State Agricultural Response Team (SART), and Co-ECO for ESF-17 (Animals and Agriculture) disaster preparedness and response activities alongside Dr. Greg Christy.
Prior to joining FDACS, LeiAnna served as an active Disaster Relief Volunteer with the American Red Cross where she provided leadership in mass care sheltering, shelter survey evaluation, damage assessment, and disaster response. She also received her bachelor’s degree in international affairs with a concentration in emergency management from the Florida State University
Additionally, LeiAnna brings with her a strong professional background with over seven years of experience in program planning and administrative work. She served as a program analyst at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, managing federal waivers/grants that authorize the operation of Florida Medicaid and managed care programs.
LeiAnna resides in Tallahassee, and is married to her husband, Bryan. They have one fur baby, a Doberman Pinscher named, Tydan. LeiAnna can be contacted at LeiAnna.Tucker@FreshFromFlorida.com