Emergency Management


Staff Contact:

Betti Johnson, AICP
Principal Planner
4000 Gateway Centre Blvd.
Suite 100
Pinellas Park, Florida 33782



Bill Lofgren
Principal Planner
Phone: (727)570-5151 ext. 32

Business Hazards

Hurricanes & Tropical Storms

While not as probable as other hazards - such as lightning and power outages - hurricanes and tropical storms could be devastating to your business and the regional economy. In Florida YOU MUST BE READY!


Flood Safety

  • Know your risk
  • Obtain a disaster supply kit
  • Sandbags
  • Protect valuables
  • Gas up vehicles.

After the Flood

  • Stay off flooded roads
  • Report and stay away from downed lines
  • Listen for emergency information

  • Know your flood zone
  • How will you communicate with employees
  • Keep a disaster supply kit at the office
  • Keep facility in good repair
  • Survey your facility
  • Don’t wait until the last minute
  • Inventory your property
  • Clearly mark buildings address
  • Review insurance policies

Thunderstorm & Lighting

The Tampa Bay Region is #1 in lightning strikes in the U.S. Your business should be able to handle the occasional power outages and protect your facility from potential fires and strikes.


Tornadoes

Powerful and devastating. Identify “safe rooms” in your facility which can protect employees.


Fire

Fire is the most frequent hazard affecting businesses. Take steps to protect your facility and your employees. OSHA standards require employers to provide proper exits, fire fighting equipment, emergency plans, and employee training to prevent fire deaths and injuries in the workplace. You can take a few simple precautions which will protect your business and may well preserve the environment you enjoy.


  1. Choose a firewise location.
  2. Design and build firewise structures.
  3. Stay on guard with firewise landscaping and maintenance.

For more information: log on to www.firewise.org.


Hazardous Material

Incidents may present your company with a challenge unless you are familiar with the appropriate response.


Violence in the Workplace

A growing hazard facing the business community for which you need to develop policies and a response plan. It is included in this document for your information. You as an employer can help to minimize your risk by doing the following:

  1. maintaining strict hiring policies;
  2. establishing written workplace anti-violence policies and security procedure
  3. with zero tolerance for any instance of violence;
  4. list prohibited conduct;
  5. monitoring current employees’ behavior;
  6. training managers and supervisors how to recognize and resolve problems;
  7. maintaining a working environment that is open to communication and
  8. respectful to all employees; and
  9. balancing a violence-free workplace with employee rights.

Other Potential Risks

  • Sinkhole
  • Drought
  • Internal Accidents
  • External Accidents
  • Sabotage
  • Terrorism
  • Environmental Failure (Heat, A/C, etc.)
  • Pipe Burst
  • Power Failure
  • Theft/Fraud/Embezzlement
  • Computer Virus
  • Errors
  • Explosion
  • Building Collapse
  • Loss of Suppliers
  • Denial of Access
  • Transportation Disruption
  • Equipment Failure
  • Disease/Epidemic
  • Death of Critical Staff

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone by calling (727) 570-5151 or in writing to 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd., Suite 100, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782. Copyright © 2007 Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. All Rights Reserved.