Monroe County and two other counties earned the highest scores out of 441 participants for disaster preparedness by the state’s Emergency Management program.
The county’s high rating ensures that in the event of a declared disaster and FEMA Public Assistance approval, Monroe County will receive an advance payment of 60% of its obligated project funding, speeding up recovery efforts and reducing the financial strain on the county while it awaits FEMA reimbursement. In recent years, there have been no advance payments, and funding has been provided on a reimbursement basis once the project is obligated.
The program is designed to help state, tribal and local governments, as well as certain private non-profit organizations, streamline the public assistance process, identify risks and implement plans to mitigate those risks before disasters strike. Each year, participating jurisdictions complete a Disaster Readiness Assessment (DRA), which evaluates key emergency functions for debris removal (Category A) and emergency protective measures (Category B).
In 2023, Monroe County volunteered to participate in the pilot program and provided input to help improve the process. This participation also contributed to the county’s finance and budget team’s ability to gain a better understanding of the process and receive improvement feedback.
“This is a huge win for Monroe County, which means we can respond and recover more quickly when disaster strikes,” said assistant county administrator Tina Boan. “Our staff’s commitment to improving our emergency processes is paying off for our entire community.”
Monroe County continues to prioritize disaster readiness through strong partnerships with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and proactive planning by leveraging programs like the one in which it rated so highly to protect its residents, infrastructure and natural resources.
