Police Chief John Cosby, Bradenton Beach Police Department

On Saturday, March 26, 2022, Police Chief John Cosby of the Bradenton Beach Police Department provided information to AMI Kiwanis members on “All Hazards” emergency preparedness.  Police Chief Cosby stated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated not only for hurricanes; but for many other reasons.  Mostly recently, the EOC was activated for the Piney Point disaster & in 2021 for the COVID-19 situation that developed.

The Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) is a multi-jurisdictional plan to reduce the identified hazards within the County.  The County Emergency Management leads 8 teams that focus on several areas to maintain a readiness for “All Hazards”.

• Preparedness
• Response
• Recovery
• Mitigation

The cost of mitigation recovery is shared among the City (12.5%), the State (12.5%) and the Federal Government (75%).  The better prepared the City & the citizens are the quicker the recovery & the mitigation can take place.  

1. Citizens should have a plan & know where you will go & be sure to keep your family members informed of your plan.
2. Try not to go to the shelter; as the space is extremely small – should be used by those people that have absolutely nowhere else to go.
3. There are several of the shelters that take pets; however, the pet must be in a crate & you must be able to provide papers showing the pet has had all required inoculations.
4. There are shelters that provide special needs.  If that is the case, find out which shelters provide this ahead of time.  The EMS will provide transportation to the facility.
5. Prepare for 5-7 days of food & water (remember to provide for your pet).
6. Have cash; as most banks & ATMS will not be operational.
7. Make sure to review your insurance policy to determine the type of coverage you have.  This might mean making a call now to your insurance provider to make sure your coverage is what you want.

Police Chief Cosby stressed to be sure to watch news & keep abreast of any hazard that might be impending.  Ideally, the order to evacuate is given 72 hours in advance; however, it is usually much less because of changes over that period of that 72 hours.  

For more information, visit the website www.mymanatee.org.