1. Florida Energy Pipeline
Association
2012 Summer Symposium

2. Role of the State Emergency
Operations Center
Danny J. Kilcollins, FPEM
Florida Division of Emergency
Management

3. State Emergency Operations Center
• Emergency Types:
– Routine/Minor emergency - limited
consequence event; No Governor’s Executive
Order in effect
• State and local agencies and partners can respond
within their existing authorities
• Emergency event can be monitored and state
response managed at SEOC by a limited number
of staff (i.e., State Watch Office)

4. State Emergency Operations Center
• Emergency Types:
– Major emergency or disaster; Governor’s
Executive Order signed and in effect
• Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
activated
• State agencies and partners may require
temporary relief from certain rules and regulations
• Complex and/or large-scale event requiring extra
staff to monitor and manage response

6. State Emergency Operations Center
• Receive, monitor and assess emergency/
disaster information
• Identify needs, acquire and track available
resources
• Keep policy makers, senior officials, SERT
agencies and partners, and local
jurisdictions informed

7. State Emergency Operations Center
• Provide state-level direction and control,
set priorities and establish strategies
• Execute tactical operations to implement
policy, strategies and missions, and
monitor and adjust operations as
necessary

8. State Emergency Operations Center

9. State Watch Office
• Located within State EOC
• Staffed 24/7/365
• Operations, Plans, Meteorology…others
as needed
• In constant communication with Florida’s
67 County Warning Points and Emergency
Management Staff, SERT members,
Nuclear Power Plants, Federal Partners
and Governor’s Office

10. State Watch Office

11. State Watch Office
• Receive, analyze and monitor information
• Assess resource needs and coordinate
response by SERT agencies & partners
for routine/minor emergencies
• Distribute information and reports
• Disseminate public emergency
information, warnings and instructions

12. Local Ownership
• All disasters start and end at the LOCAL
level
• State and Federal officials provide support
and resources when local agencies are
overwhelmed

13. Example Energy Pipeline
Emergency

14. 1998 NG Pipeline Disruption,
Perry Florida
• Friday, Aug 14 @ after 2:00 PM - Lightning
strike causes explosion at Florida Gas
Transmission (FGT) pipeline compressor plant
• Responding firefighters injured by second
explosion
• State Warning Point notified and Division of
Emergency Management deploys liaison to
County

15. Aug 14, 1998 - Perry, Florida

16. 1998 NG Pipeline Disruption,
Perry Florida
• Public Service Commission (PSC) as SERT
Emergency Support Function (ESF) 12-Energy
reports to SEOC
– Serves as liaison to communicate with NG
and electric utilities (i.e., customer outages &
restoration activities)
• Initial reports indicate only local impacts to NG
distribution

17. 1998 NG Pipeline Disruption,
Perry Florida
• Local emergency response reinforced through
local mutual aid assistance (firefighting)
• Governor and staff, DCA Secretary, FEMA,
SERT agencies and partners, and county
warning points notified of incident
– Initial reports indicate negligible regional or
statewide impacts anticipated
• Pipeline shutdown and fire burned out overnight

18. 1998 NG Pipeline Disruption,
Perry Florida
• August 15 @ AM – FGT and PSC report that 36”
and 24” pipelines damaged--later third (30”) pipe
reported damaged; NG fuel cut-off to peninsula
– Natural Gas curtailment to electric plants and others
– Electric demand met by use of other fuel sources
– “Pack” in pipeline available for most customers
• Governor and staff, DCA Secretary, FEMA,
SERT agencies and partners, and county
warning points notified of situation

19. 1998 NG Pipeline Disruption,
Perry Florida
• State EOC partially activated to support local
governments
– Primary Agencies: DEM, PSC and DEP
– No local resource needs anticipated
– Agencies can respond with existing resources
and authorities
– DEP coordinated waiver for temporary relief
from certain regulations; increased electric
supply to grid

20. 1998 NG Pipeline Disruption,
Perry Florida
• Communications via conference calls
– Technical staff calls to discuss restoration activities
– Public affairs calls to coordinate public information
messaging (e.g., calls for conservation)
– Emergency Management calls with local agencies
• Partial restoration about three days after
explosion; full restoration in about four days

21. Questions??