What does county emergency management do in Florida, and how do I sign up for emergency alerts?

Section 252.38 of the Florida Statutes says each county must establish and maintain an emergency management agency and write a county emergency management plan that is coordinated with the state's plan. The county commission, or the county's chief administrative officer, appoints the director. The law sets training and experience requirements for the job, including 4 years of emergency management experience with supervisory duties.

Under the same law, when an emergency affects only one county, the county asks for state help by declaring a state of local emergency. The declaration lasts 7 days and can be extended 7 days at a time. A county may also set up an emergency operations center, spend money and sign contracts for emergency management, and assign its own staff and equipment to the work.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is the state agency, in Tallahassee, that sponsors AlertFlorida, a statewide emergency notification program. On the AlertFlorida page, apps.floridadisaster.org/alertflorida, you enter your county or city, and it shows how to receive emergency alerts and other public safety notices where you live. The division's website, floridadisaster.org, also lists all 67 county emergency management offices with a link to each one's website. The division's phone number is 850-815-4000.

The division also advises people who need electricity for medical equipment, need a ride to evacuate because of a medical condition, or need help getting medication during a disaster to sign up for the Special Needs Registry at snr.flhealthresponse.com.

Where to go from here.