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Hollywood reviews hurricane readiness; emergency manager Jamie Hernandez to leave for Homestead role
Summary
Staff briefed the commission on hurricane‑season readiness, sandbag distribution improvements, critical emergency resources and changes to FEMA's approach. Longtime city emergency manager Jamie Hernandez announced he will leave the city for a new role in Homestead; commissioners and staff praised his work.
City emergency management and public utilities presented the commission on May 21 with a summary of hurricane‑season readiness measures and staffing changes ahead of the 2025 storm season.
Jamie Hernandez, Hollywood’s emergency manager, said seasonal forecasts call for an active season and stressed the need to maintain preparedness. He described steps taken since last year including a municipal representation arrangement with Broward County’s regional EOC, improved sandbag distribution logistics (staff described a plan to use trucks to deliver pre‑filled or on‑site‑filled sandbags with resident verification and bag limits), additional generators for traffic intersections, satellite Internet connectivity at key facilities and portable vehicle barriers purchased with Homeland Security grant funds.
Hernandez also announced that he is leaving his Hollywood post to accept a position in Homestead. "This decision was very, very difficult," he told the commission; Mayor Josh Levy and others thanked Hernandez for his work building interagency coordination and preparedness programs.
Public Utilities director Vin Morello described utility preparations, including expansion of stormwater pump capacity (from single digits to more pumps in 2024, with rental pumps and contractors on call), a pump‑watch standard that uses city staff cross‑trained to observe critical pump float switches during storms, anchored pump installations to prevent wind damage and a 24/7 remote operations system to maintain SCADA and monitoring during events.
Why it matters: Staff said the city is improving self‑reliance and response capacity ahead of the hurricane season. Several measures aim to reduce dependence on outside resources and speed response after extreme weather.
Follow up: Commissioners thanked Hernandez for his service and asked staff to continue community preparedness outreach. Staff will provide details on sandbag cost options and distribution logistics, and will continue to brief the commission on pump and generator deployments.
