Florida Senate - 2024                             CS for SB 1262
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
       Domestic Security; and Senator Collins
       
       
       
       
       583-02613-24                                          20241262c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to qualifications for county emergency
    3         management directors; amending s. 252.38, F.S.;
    4         requiring county emergency management directors to
    5         meet specified qualifications; requiring such
    6         directors to meet such qualifications by a specified
    7         date; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
   12  252.38, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         252.38 Emergency management powers of political
   14  subdivisions.—Safeguarding the life and property of its citizens
   15  is an innate responsibility of the governing body of each
   16  political subdivision of the state.
   17         (1) COUNTIES.—
   18         (b)1. Each county emergency management agency created and
   19  established pursuant to ss. 252.31-252.90 shall have a director.
   20  The director must meet the following minimum training and
   21  education qualifications:
   22         a. A bachelor’s degree.
   23         b. Six years of verifiable experience in emergency
   24  services, emergency management, emergency planning, law
   25  enforcement, or firefighting services, of which at least 3 years
   26  must be supervisory experience in emergency management,
   27  response, or operations for a county, a municipality, the state,
   28  or the Federal Government.
   29         c. A master’s degree in emergency preparedness or
   30  management, business or public administration, communications,
   31  finance, homeland security, public health, criminal justice,
   32  meteorology, or environmental science may be substituted for 2
   33  years of experience of those required in sub-subparagraph b. but
   34  not for the required years of supervisory experience.
   35         d. Completion of the following National Incident Management
   36  System courses, or equivalent courses established by the Federal
   37  Emergency Management Agency through the Emergency Management
   38  Institute:
   39         (I) ICS-100: Introduction to the Incident Command System;
   40         (II) ICS-200: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action
   41  Incidents;
   42         (III) IS-700.b: National Incident Management System, An
   43  Introduction;
   44         (IV) IS-703.b: NIMS Resource Management; and
   45         (V) IS-800.d: National Response Framework, An Introduction.
   46  
   47  A valid accreditation as a Certified Master Exercise
   48  Practitioner by the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
   49  Certified Emergency Manager, or Florida Professional Emergency
   50  Manager will satisfy the requirements of this sub-subparagraph.
   51         e. A valid driver license. If the license is not a Florida
   52  driver license, the director must obtain a Florida driver
   53  license within 30 days after being appointed as director.
   54         2. established in a job description approved by the county.
   55  The director shall be appointed by the board of county
   56  commissioners or the chief administrative officer of the county,
   57  as described in chapter 125 or the county charter, if
   58  applicable, to serve at the pleasure of the appointing
   59  authority, in conformance with applicable resolutions,
   60  ordinances, and laws.
   61         3. A county constitutional officer, or an employee of a
   62  county constitutional officer, may be appointed as director
   63  following prior notification to the division.
   64         4. Each board of county commissioners shall promptly inform
   65  the division of the appointment of the director and other
   66  personnel.
   67         5. Each director has direct responsibility for the
   68  organization, administration, and operation of the county
   69  emergency management agency. The director shall coordinate
   70  emergency management activities, services, and programs within
   71  the county and shall serve as liaison to the division and other
   72  local emergency management agencies and organizations.
   73         Section 2. A county emergency management director who does
   74  not satisfy the training or certification requirements of
   75  section 1 of this act as of July 1, 2024, shall have until June
   76  30, 2026, to complete such requirements.
   77         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.