A Quiet 2015 Hurricane Season, but DSI Continued Its Preparedness Efforts

TALLAHASSEE, FL -  While Florida was not hit by a tropical system in 2015, DSI and its staff remained busy with state and local preparedness efforts. DSI CEO Joe Myers summed up the season by saying “While Florida was not impacted by a hurricane in 2015, we must remain vigilant as it is only a matter of time until our streak of good luck with tropical systems ends.” Myers also reported that DSI remained quite busy during the season with contracted efforts with many of our government clients. On the state level, DSI conducted:

  • Review and Analysis of FDEM’s 2015-2016 Strategic and Business Plan – DSI was selected to provide a complete review of the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Strategic and Business Plan for 2015-2016. As Myers stated: “With our wealth of employees who are former FDEM executives, few firms could compete with DSI for this work.”

On the county level, Myers reported the following activities for DSI during the 2015 season:

  • Updated the Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) for the Gulf County Florida Emergency Management Department and for Dixie County Emergency Services. DSI staff worked with county officials to collect and analyze all data to provide a substantial update to the LMS of both Gulf and Dixie County. Both plans were welcomed by county officials and approved by the Bureau of Mitigation of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM)

  • DSI worked closely with the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office to –

  1. Develop a Tactical Interoperability Communications Plan

  2. Develop an EOC Operations Guide

  3. Created an Inventory Asset List specific for Wakulla County

  • At the end of September, DSI was pleased that the Big Bend Healthcare Coalition renewed their consulting contract with DSI for the remainder of the fiscal year. We have worked with the Coalition since its inception and believe strongly in the concept of groups of healthcare providers coming together to be jointly prepared.

Gloria Perryman