Agriculture department ready to help after storm

Adam Putnam

With Tropical Storm Erika approaching Florida, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam said Friday that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is ready to fulfill its roles in assisting and protecting Floridians should it be necessary.

The department plays key emergency support functions, including helping with search and rescue missions, moving supplies through hazardous areas, providing food and water, protecting animals and pets, and supporting overall emergency response efforts.

“I convened every director in the department this morning to review our emergency support functions and assess our overall readiness, and we are prepared to come to Floridians’ aid should it be necessary,” Putnam said. “While we’re doing our part, I cannot emphasize enough the need for Floridians to create their own disaster plans by going to FloridaDisaster.org.”

Among the department’s many roles in the wake of a disaster are:

• Assisting with search and rescue missions of missing or injured people;
• Managing logistical staging areas, where supply trucks register, report inventory and receive assignments. Staging areas also serve as a base camp where emergency responders can eat and rest;
• Aiding vehicles distributing necessary supplies that cannot make it through hazardous areas to reach their destinations by using the department’s equipment;
• Helping rebuild areas that have been devastated by the impact of a hurricane;
• Identifying food, water and ice needs in anticipation of and in the aftermath of a disaster or emergency;
• Obtaining food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and purchasing food from other commercial vendors;
• Coordinating with agencies of ESF 6 (Mass Care), such as the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army, to ensure delivery of food and water supplies to disaster survivors;
• Prioritizing and responding to requests for assistance in the protection of animals and pets; and
• Providing assistance to producers for animal needs in impacted areas.

For information, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.