Friday March 29, 2024
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Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) is deploying our own Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) coordinator to provide assistance to Florida through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).  Mr. Jim Garrett, the KYEM VOAD coordinator, deployed Sunday and will fulfill a 12 day deployment assisting the Army Corps of Engineers to work on the Blue Roofs project, which helps put blue tarps on the roofs of damaged homes.  Kentucky is one of only a few states, nationwide, which employs a full-time volunteer coordinator.

Additionally, the ambulance strike team that was deployed last week has fulfilled its deployment and returned to Kentucky safely on Sunday.  Michael Dossett, director of KYEM, stated “We are thankful for the safe return of our first responders and appreciative of their volunteerism in leaving their homes and families to help our sister states in their time of need.”

Michael Poynter, director of Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) stated, “We were honored to assist Florida during Hurricane Imra relief efforts.  We were well received by their first responder community and know that should Kentucky ever need assistance in the future, they would be there to help us in our time of need.”

Assistance requests are coordinated and authorized through EMAC, which is a mutual aid agreement between states and territories in the United States.  It enables states to share resources during natural and man-made disasters.  Under EMAC agreements, the requesting state reimburses all associated costs incurred by the provider state.  KYEM is the managing authority for deployment of all Kentucky teams and assets.

Florida Emergency Management reminds residents to use caution and check road status before returning home.   Use http://FL511.com for road information and check county government or emergency webpages to see if it is safe before returning to your home.

Additional information about KYEM can be found at www.kyem.ky.gov.

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