Today, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) emphasized Governor Ron DeSantis’ dedication to emergency preparedness and disaster management through the Focus on Fiscal Responsibility Budget. The proposed recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 aim to protect Floridians and sustain Florida’s recovery efforts during disasters.
“Governor DeSantis has demonstrated unwavering support for the agency’s efforts to set the national standard in emergency management,” said FDEM Executive Director Kevin Guthrie. “By investing in the enhancement of our core initiatives through his budget recommendations, the Governor once again proves his commitment to strengthening Florida’s communities and assisting residents at every stage of a disaster.”
Over the past year, FDEM addressed a challenging hurricane season with Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. They also dealt with severe weather events like tornadoes and flooding, record freezing conditions, and facilitated safe returns from Haiti.
Funding details in Governor DeSantis’ budget proposal include:
$505 million and 15 full-time equivalent positions for enforcing President Trump’s Illegal Immigration policies.
$1.24 billion in federal and state funding for disaster response, recovery, and mitigation.
$43 million for the Flood Mitigation Assistance Swift Current Program to reduce flood damage.
$8.2 million for developing the Division of Emergency Management Enterprise Solution platform.
$4 million for enhancing community resilience through research-supported investment via the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program.
$3.6 million for maintaining information technology at the State Emergency Operations Center.
$3.2 million to support the Statewide WebEOC initiative for coordinated emergency responses across Florida entities.
