Fiscal Year 2013 Recommended Budget Book - Lake County

Public Safety• Emergency Management administers the Neighborhood Preparedness Program. The Division staff coordinates eachneighborhoods’ progress, and provides informational brochures and metal signs for neighborhoods to display the“Disaster Ready Community” designation. Each neighborhood will develop a basic plan, communicate with one anotherand stand ready to relay information to first-response agencies.• Emergency Management provides National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radios to atriskcitizens. The Division staff uses federal emergency management grant funding with local match with general fundsto program the radios and coordinate delivery to at-risk citizens. The equipment is enhancing mass notificationcapabilities to all individuals within Lake County, including those with special needs or who are disabled.• Fire Rescue plans to open a new fire station in Astatula in order to provide an enhanced level of service to thecommunity.Lake County is a Leader in Multi-jurisdictional Cooperation:• Communications Technologies administers Inter and Intra-governmental Radio System and SubscriberWarranty/Maintenance. Multi-jurisdictional communications among all Public Safety and Law Enforcement respondersis creating effective external communication, strengthening responsiveness to the community while enabling newprocesses for improved communications to be developed. The E911 coordination demonstrates a fundamentalcooperative measure among the County, other counties, the State of Florida, the municipalities, and the participatingprivate sector companies. These efforts ensure continuance of operations for this highly critical and needed program ascost effectively as possible. The Division plans to accomplish this effort by maintaining expenditure expectations andplanning for necessary upgrades to the E911 system to encompass Next Generation E911 impacts while ensuring thecontinued operation of the system in order to assist in saving the lives and properties of our citizens and visitors.• Communications Technologies also administers the Communication Services Tax (CST) project as part of the CableTelevision Program functions to ensure that cable franchise fees are correctly collected and remitted by the StateDepartment of Revenue (DOR) to all county and municipal agencies authoring collection of cable franchise fees. TheDivision continues to provide excellent customer service and maintain successful operation of the programs.• Emergency Management provides All-Hazards Training, Exercises and Drills. The Division staff utilizes availableeducation materials and facilities for providing the appropriate level of training to all county employees and otheragancies across the county. The training will enhance our many community partners’ ability to respond to disasters.• Fire Rescue operates the Special Operations Response Team (SORT). The Division continues partnership with the Stateof Florida, Regional 5 Florida Fire Chiefs State Emergency Response Plan, local Mutual and Automatic Aid agreementstogether with maintaining personnel in a state of readiness to respond to local, regional or state emergencies.• Fire Rescue pursues First Response and Automatic Aid agreements with the cities located within the County. TheDivision needs collaborative agreement documents for the establishment of more First Response and Automatic Aidresponse locally.F - 126