Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins visited the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Marathon on Aug. 5, meeting with officials and public safety leadership to discuss emergency preparedness, response capabilities and the challenges of protecting community members and visitors throughout the Keys.
Collins met with Monroe County Mayor Michelle Lincoln, commissioner Jim Scholl, Emergency Management Director Cory Schwisow and Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Hemeyer. The group discussed the county’s emergency operations, Trauma Star and the coordination among local, state and federal agencies before, during and after emergencies.
The EOC is the coordination point during activations, bringing together emergency management, fire rescue, law enforcement, municipalities, utilities, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations and state and federal agencies.
“We appreciate Lt. Gov. Collins taking the time to visit our EOC and meet directly with the people responsible for protecting our community,” said Lincoln. “In the Florida Keys, strong partnerships with the state of Florida are critical to our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Having our state leadership see firsthand how we operate and understand the challenges we face is extremely valuable.”
