When disaster threatens Florida, coordination is key to getting help where it is needed most.

That coordination now has a new home.

American Red Cross leaders recently visited Florida’s new State Emergency Operations Center (EOC), a larger, modernized facility designed to bring government agencies, nonprofit organizations and other emergency response partners together under one roof.

For the Red Cross, the new facility provides additional space to collaborate directly with state partners before, during and after disasters.

“The new State Emergency Operations Center here in Florida is a much larger facility than we used to have,” said Shannon Hagan, Division Disaster Director for the Southeast and Caribbean Division of the American Red Cross. “Now we’re able to keep everybody together for the maximum amount of collaboration.”

The Red Cross has two designated seats on the main EOC floor, where representatives can work alongside state agencies and other organizations during emergency activations. Additional space is available for more Red Cross team members when an operation requires increased support.

That proximity can make a significant difference when communities across the state are facing hurricanes, flooding, wildfires or other emergencies.

Fabian Fernandez, Unmet Needs Coordinator with the Florida Division of Emergency Management said the facility was designed with that kind of collaboration in mind.

“What’s happening here is a lot of coordination between agencies in Florida, and also partners that are not within Florida government,” Fernandez said. “It was very important to have everybody under the same roof.”

A Partnership Built Through Disaster Response

The relationship between the State of Florida and the American Red Cross has been strengthened through years of responding to disasters together.

Red Cross volunteers and staff work alongside emergency management agencies, faith-based organizations and other community partners to help provide shelter, food, relief supplies and other assistance to people affected by disasters.

“The Red Cross has always been one of our most important partners, particularly for our nonprofit sector,” said Erek Culbreath, State Mass Care Coordinator for the Florida Department of Children and Families. “They’re an extreme force multiplier for us.”

The partnership extends beyond the immediate response.

State agencies and the Red Cross regularly share expertise and coordinate around mass care and other services that may be needed when communities are affected by emergencies.

“The state has a longstanding partnership and respect with the American Red Cross,” Hagan said. “We have a strong partnership that is built off of many, many years of successful disaster response and recovery efforts.”

Ready Before Disaster Strikes

Florida’s new EOC provides another tool for strengthening that partnership and ensuring organizations can quickly come together when communities need help.

For Pam Hughes, Human Services Program Manager with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, that collaboration is particularly important when serving people who may need additional assistance following a disaster.

“Volunteer and faith-based organizations, along with our state agencies, are critical partners for us to be able to address all the needs of our vulnerable populations,” Hughes said.

The building may be new, but the mission behind the work remains the same: preparing together before disaster strikes, so organizations can respond together when it does.

And when the next emergency affects Florida, Red Cross representatives will have a seat at the table—working side by side with state and community partners to help ensure people receive the care and support they need.