Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, told the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Committee that the agency has opened a consolidated logistics hub and is expanding state emergency operations and recovery capabilities.

Guthrie said the Florida Central Operations and Coordination Office (a combined state logistical response center opened 08/01/2025) is a 421,600‑square‑foot facility in Auburndale located off I‑4. He said the warehouse consolidated prior footprints, is already at about 91% capacity by design, and holds water, meals, flood‑mitigation materials (tiger dams, aqua fence), generators, cleanup supplies and heavy equipment. The facility includes about 400 trailer spaces, over 100 sleeping quarters for personnel, three hazardous‑materials closets with air monitoring and a drive‑in indoor loading design; a helipad capable of receiving National Guard Chinooks is under construction.

Guthrie said the facility will serve as a major hub for disaster logistics, reduce travel time for staff serving Central and South Florida, and support the Florida National Guard during operations. The division also reported a new hardened state Emergency Operations Center on the Southwood campus in Tallahassee that Guthrie said will accommodate about 220 people and is expected to be fully operational by 2026, possibly sooner.

Recovery obligations and operational lessons

- Hurricanes Milton and Helene: Guthrie reported FEMA had obligated about $1.2 billion for Milton with nearly $1 billion more “in development.” He said the state removed more than 31.6 million cubic yards of debris after Helene and Milton and that the division conducted 24/7 debris operations in a 90‑day federal reimbursement period, which he described as a shift in methodology.

- Volunteer villages and staging: The division established volunteer villages (for example in Sarasota County) to house volunteers near affected areas, which Guthrie called a best practice to reduce travel time and support recovery work.

- Other disasters and ongoing obligations: Guthrie summarized remaining obligations for prior storms (Ian, Irma, Michael, Nicole, among others), noting multi‑year recovery work and the continuing management of large public‑assistance portfolios.

Mitigation and programs

- Elevate Florida: Guthrie described a federally funded mitigation program (flood mitigation assistance, Swift Current and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds) with roughly $335.7 million allocated to raise homes and reduce flood risk. He said the program aims to elevate between 1,300 and 2,000 homes; the division reported about $205 million in state‑level allocation tied to the program and noted 97% of that state allocation was directed to Pinellas County. Guthrie emphasized that most funding is federal and that counties can opt in and contribute matching resources.

- Florida Recovery Obligation Calculator (FROC): Guthrie described FROC as a standardized, statewide approach to FEMA public assistance that the division says reduces noncompliance risk and prepares communities to recover more efficiently.

Technology and systems

- DEM enterprise solution (Demi's): A cloud‑based platform (built on Salesforce) that Guthrie said manages grants, projects and finance workflows; the division reported processing about $4.3 billion through the system in the past year and more than $11 billion since inception.

- WebEOC: Guthrie said WebEOC is used statewide for mission and resource requests and that 60 of 67 counties plus 22 colleges and universities are on the platform to provide a single system of record from local requests through federal coordination.

Questions and follow‑up

Senators asked how cities and counties request pumps and flood‑response equipment. Guthrie said local governments should request assistance through county mutual‑aid channels first; if counties cannot meet needs they may escalate requests to the state through WebEOC. He described a state approach to acquiring and staging pumps (4‑, 6‑ and 8‑inch lay‑flat hose) and said the governor authorized purchasing equipment for state inventory when rental costs justify acquisition. Guthrie proposed more local‑state partnerships to station pumps regionally while retaining the ability to move equipment during large disasters.

He also described a mutual‑aid emphasis going forward and a planned elected‑officials training track as part of implementation of Senate Bill 180’s training requirements for elected and key local staff.

Ending: Guthrie invited committee members to tour the new operations center and logistics facility and offered to provide additional program materials and county‑level data on recovery obligations and mitigation projects.