Florida opens new emergency response facility

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The state of Florida celebrated the grand opening of its Central Operations and Coordination Office Thursday.

The facility, located in Polk County, has a warehouse and staging area for future storm response.

Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said before settling in, his team searched across Central Florida for the right location. Ultimately, they say Auburndale was the prime choice because of its price point and its location along the I-4 corridor.

“We can get to all places rather quickly from this area,” he said.

Guthrie says the 421,600-square-foot facility can house more than 300 personnel, 400 trailers and 100 sleeping quarters. The warehouse is also equipped with all storm essentials, including food, water, flood prevention resources and generators. The facility is already 91% utilized, with supplies stacked from the ground all the way to the roof.

“This is something that we did not necessarily have — this kind of capability in the past where we can go all the way to the roof, so that’s really where we’ve gained a lot of space on our cubic volume versus our square foot,” he said.

Guthrie says the agency’s last office in Orlando was much smaller. Now that the emergency management division is in a more strategic location, he says he’s looking forward to working out logistics and getting staff trained.

“We’re ready to do our job today. We’re ready to commit to that. But to enhance our capabilities and commitment there, it’s training and exercise time,” he said.

Guthrie adds the facility will open up new job opportunities in Auburndale and relocate several personnel from Tallahassee.