Alachua County adopts its 2025 Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

Alachua County commissioners voted Oct. 28 to adopt the county's 2025 Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) following a presentation from Emergency Management Director Jen Grice.

Grice said the county had submitted the plan to the Florida Division of Emergency Management and that the state had approved it pending board adoption. "This plan is all hazards," she told the board, "it is designed to handle any large-scale incident that we might have here in Alachua County" and sets the framework for countywide coordination during incidents.

The presentation outlined the county's emergency operations structure, its top identified hazards (winds from tropical cyclones, flooding and severe weather) and the roles of liaison staff who coordinate with municipalities, hospitals and public works during activations. Grice also briefed commissioners on national-level discussions about possible FEMA changes — including higher declaration thresholds and lower maximum reimbursement rates — and said the county is taking steps to increase reserves and identify mutual-aid resource centers in case federal support shrinks.

Commissioner Cornell moved to receive the presentation and adopt the resolution; the board approved the motion by voice vote. Commissioners praised the emergency-management staff for running robust multiagency responses with a small team.

What happens next: county staff will implement the plan, continue coordination with municipal partners and pursue mitigation and readiness projects identified in the CEMP. The adopted plan will be used to guide EOC activations and FEMA reimbursement documentation in future incidents.

Sources: Presentation by Jen Grice, Emergency Management Director, Oct. 28 Alachua County Board of County Commissioners meeting.