The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the lead agency for animal and agricultural emergencies. To fulfill its responsibilities as lead to Emergency Support Function 17 (ESF-17), the Department facilitated the development of the State Agricultural Response Team (SART) as a planning, training, and response support group with the aid of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (UF/IFAS), UF College of Veterinary Medicine, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). SART partners have specific skill sets and resources that can be utilized to address the needs of the state of Florida. SART is composed of partner agencies and organizations including local, state, and federal agencies, private sector entities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
SART is statutorily authorized under Chapter 252, State Emergency Management Act, Florida Statutes.
SART is a multiagency coordination group consisting of governmental and private entities dedicated to strengthening all-hazard disaster capabilities through partnerships. Florida SART will support an effective and coordinated incident response for the animal and agricultural sectors in the state of Florida.
Support an ESF 17 multiagency coordination group for state-level response activities for animal and agriculture issues.
Develop and support an ESF 17 Incident Management Team with equipment and training.
Develop and support ESF 17 response resources with funding and/or training.
Develop and support outreach, training, and information coordination to enhance local and regional ESF 17 response capabilities.
Other SART Teams by State:
| States | ||
| Maine | Kansas | Alabama |
| Georgia | Virginia | New Jersey |
| North Carolina | Connecticut | Louisiana |
| New York | Washington | Pennsylvania |
| Tennessee | Mississippi | |
SART Brochure (PDF, 1MB)
SART Poster (PDF, 2.1MB)
Florida Agriculture at-a-glance (PDF, 0.85MB)