Governor Ron DeSantis Meets On Site with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell Regarding Surfside Building Collapse

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 27, 2021

Contact: Florida Division of Emergency Management, (850) 815-4940, ESF14@em.myflorida.com

Governor Ron DeSantis Meets On Site with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell Regarding Surfside Building Collapse
~FDEM Director Requests Administrative Declaration from the Small Business Administration for Surfside Building Collapse~ 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis met on site with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell regarding the Surfside Building Collapse response. Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Director Kevin Guthrie requested an Administrative Declaration for Miami-Dade County from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide disaster loans to individuals and businesses impacted by the Surfside Building Collapse. 

This morning, FDEM Director Guthrie also welcomed the Israeli Homefront Command Team at the Miami International Airport. The team is being deployed to support the Surfside Building Collapse response and recovery efforts.

Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez and FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie. Please see full remarks regarding the current response from this morning's press conference here. 

State response efforts include:

• FDEM is assisting Miami-Dade County with establishing a call center and facilitating public notification capabilities for the Family Assistance Center.
• FDEM is activating an existing contract to assist with time-tracking and meal-tracking for individuals responding to the collapse. 
• FDEM coordinated with Escambia County to deploy an additional mobile command vehicle.
• FDEM is deploying an Incident Management Team to support local response efforts.
• FDEM is deploying a mobile laundry facility to the site of the collapse to support first responders.
• Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 3 (West Central Florida) is on-scene to assist with search and rescue efforts. Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 5 (Northeast Florida), 7 (North Florida) and 8 (North Central Florida) are deploying to the scene. 
• The state has ordered additional machinery to support search and rescue efforts including cranes, excavators and nibblers. 
• The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has identified an alternate site to assist with the clearance of debris.
• FDOT is deploying additional excavators, dump trucks and front end loaders to the collapse site to support rescue and recovery efforts.
• The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is providing traffic control in the Surfside area for the safety of residents. 
• The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) is coordinating with the Miami Poison Control Center to review on-scene personal protective equipment and identify and respond to potential public health hazards.
• FDOH is activating the Florida Crisis Consortium to provide behavioral health care for impacted individuals at the Family Reunification Center.
• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has a mobile unit on scene with deployed personnel who are assisting individuals with completing housing assistance applications and coordinating available business resources.
• Volunteer Florida is coordinating with local nonprofit organizations to establish a multi-agency donations warehouse.

Previous state response efforts for the Surfside Building Collapse are available here.

Individuals with information about loved ones who are unaccounted for, or are safe, are encouraged to call the reunification hotline at 305-614-1819.

Impacted individuals are also encouraged to contact the following helpline services for immediate emotional support:

• Disaster Distress Helpline – 800-985-5990
• Florida 211 Network – 211
• Crisis Text Line – Text HELLO to 741741

State personnel remain on scene and will continue to provide assistance, as requested.

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