In 1995, House Bill 911 was signed into legislation which requires all health care facilities to have a comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP). The CEMP must be developed by each facility and then submitted to the the local emergency management office for review against the specific state criteria. The purpose of this bill is to reinforce the concept that your health care facilities, as part of doing business, are responsible for your residents. This responsibility is not just during normal business operations, but also during emergency situations. Preparing your health care facility to work through emergencies in times of need will save lives and protect property. This planning will allow your health care facility the ability to continue to provide for and take responsibility for services your residents need, which they have paid for and will require during emergency situations.

Disaster plans are to be developed by each individual facility that addresses all the required criteria found in the State's criteria checklists and the appropriate requirements found in Florida Statute and the Florida Administrative Code. These disaster plans must be submitted, reviewed, and approved annually by the Okeechobee Office of Emergency Management, for compliance in addressing those criteria.

If you run a healthcare facility in Okeechobee County, you are required by Florida Statute to submit a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) to Okeechobee County Emergency Management for review annually.  Currently, the facilities that are required by Florida Statute (F.S.) and Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) to develop and submit a disaster plan to Emergency Management for review are as follows:

Criteria, Statutes and Rules

Other Required Forms:

• Emergency Power Plan Criteria (Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Only)
• Facility Contact Information Form

Any changes in the criteria, reporting processes, or any additional criteria requirements will be at the discretion of the State Agencies and Florida Legislature. The interpretations of what meets the required criteria found in the disaster plans will be at the discretion of the local emergency management office.

Okeechobee County Emergency Management does not have an electronic emergency plan review process, and so the healthcare facility plans listed above should be remitted either in person in a tabbed binder or in a single document email to:

Healthcare CEMP Review Contact Information: Nicholas Martini Emergency Management Planner Okeechobee County Emergency Management 707 NW 6th Street Okeechobee, FL 34972 Phone: (863)763-3212 Fax: (863)763-4565 Email: NMartini@OkeechobeeCountyFL.gov Plan Review Fee: None

Additional Information:

The local health department is the reviewing agency for non-facilities (i.e. home health agencies, home medical equipment providers, hospice, and nurse registries). The Okeechobee County Emergency Management office has no authority for these plan reviews. The Florida Department of Health has implemented a new process of the review of these plans as described below.

The plans for all non-facilities will submit their plans to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) Bureau of Preparedness and Response (BPR) using the following link: FDOH BPR Plan Submittal

For providers unable to make an electronic submission, CEMP's can be mailed to:

ATTN: CEMP Reviewer
Florida Department of Health
Bureau of Preparedness & Response
4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin A-23
Tallahassee, FL 32399

For questions, please contact: DOHCEMPReview@FLHealth.gov by email or call (844)234-9307

Disaster plan submissions from these medical providers should be coordinated with the local health department office at:

Florida Department of Health - Okeechobee
ATTN: CEMP Plan Review
1728 NW 9th Avenue
Okeechobee, FL 34972
(863)462-5800

NOTE: The Florida Department of Health does charge a fee for their CEMP review process. Please contact their office for more information.