Comprehensive Emergency Management

Current emergency activation: Level 1.

 Level 3 Activation – MONITORING ONLY

Either a specific situation has been detected that must be monitored or a general state of monitoring exists, as during the hurricane season. The District’s Incident Commander and key Emergency Operations Organization staff monitor the situation during normal business hours and under normal operating conditions.

 Level 2 Activation – PARTIAL ACTIVATION

A situation expands to a point whereby the District may be adversely affected. The Emergency Operations Center assumes a partial activation. Appropriate Emergency Operations Organization team members are mobilized and report to the Emergency Operations Center during extended business hours (12 hours per day) and assume Incident Command System roles. The rest of the District remains at normal operating conditions.

 Level 1 Activation – FULL ACTIVATION

A situation has developed into an emergency. The Emergency Operations Center assumes full activation and appropriate Emergency Operations Organization team members assume their Incident Command System positions for round-the-clock operation. Normal departmental functions that might interfere with emergency operations are suspended; all others continue.


Comprehensive emergency management planning

Statutorily (Chapter 252, F.S.) and legislatively required by Florida’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP), the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s CEMP establishes a framework to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of a wide variety of emergencies that may adversely affect the health, safety or general welfare of the residents within the District. This emergency management system establishes the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System as standards for incident management at the District, coordinated through the Operations Department.

Florida’s CEMP requires the District to establish liaisons with counties and other state organizations to support emergency management capabilities within Florida. Water management districts involve inter-jurisdictional authority and can provide resources and services to support other functionally related systems in times of disaster. As part of the State Emergency Response Team, composed of agencies representing core emergency support functions, the District serves as a support agency for the Department of Transportation.

Emergency action plans for dam failure

Emergency Action Plans (EAP) identify potential emergency conditions at a dam and specify steps to minimize property damage and loss of life. Procedures are outlined to assist in issuing early warning and emergency conditions notification to responsible emergency management authorities. The District has Emergency Action Plans for four high hazard structures: Inglis Main and Bypass Dams in Citrus and Levy counties; Structure G-90 in Highlands County; Medard Reservoir in Hillsborough County; and the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area in Hillsborough County (Tampa Bypass Canal).

Emergency Operations Center

The District’s Emergency Operations Center is a facility through which the District provides direction and control during any type of emergency event, including continuity of operations activations. It supports the on-scene response and functions as both a management tool and the center for coordination, communications, resource dispatch and tracking, and information collection, analysis and dissemination for the District. Once activated, all emergency response efforts and resource deployment are coordinated through the center.

District staff emergency information

1-866-788-4083; a toll-free number specifically for District staff that can be called from anywhere within Florida.