Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Response Reimbursement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Holmes County sheriff presents reimbursements to volunteer departments after May tornado
Summary
Sheriff John Tate told commissioners the county secured state funding to reimburse local fire and police departments for response hours after May tornadoes; the county did not qualify for FEMA public-assistance but sought and received other state support.
Sheriff John Tate told the Holmes County Board of County Commissioners at a July meeting that state emergency-management funding and help from elected representatives covered response costs after tornadoes struck the county in May, and he publicly presented reimbursement checks to local volunteer fire departments and police.
Tate said Holmes County did not meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency's threshold for a federal disaster declaration but that he and county staff contacted state representatives to secure funds so the county would not bear the reimbursement costs. "We did it and fall back on taxpayers," Tate said, adding that the state money meant "it didn't cost the county a dime."
Tate listed departments added to the sheriff's office reimbursement request and called out volunteers and mutual-aid partners by name during remarks and when presenting checks. He told the board he had collected hours and other documentation from participating departments and had asked them to send representative(s) forward at the meeting to accept the checks.
Commissioners and others thanked first responders and volunteers for search-and-rescue work, road clearing and other aid after the storms. Commissioners also noted that local road, public-works and law-enforcement staff had supported the response and said they appreciated the coordination with Tallahassee officials and local partners.
The presentation was made as an acknowledgment and public thanks rather than as a formal board vote. The sheriff read a prepared statement recognizing "the dedicated team and men and women of our local fire departments and police department for their outstanding service during the tornadoes that struck our area in May," and commissioners joined the sheriff for photos with department representatives.
The meeting transcript shows Tate saying the state-funded reimbursement "didn't cost the county" and listing departments that received funds; it also records commissioners' public thanks. The transcript does not include a formal recorded vote tied to the presentation.
Local residents and board members had no objections recorded during the presentation; commissioners used the item to publicly thank the volunteer and municipal units that responded.
The action clarifies the county's next steps: departments that assisted will be reimbursed through the sheriff's office submission to the state, and staff will continue to document and reconcile any remaining costs.
