Storm Recovery
Assess your shelter for damage. Assess the area outside your home for damage and take a look at power lines or other potential hazards. Do not turn on utilities until you are instructed to do so. If you are using an emergency generator please follow the safety instructions included with your unit and do not plug the generator in to your main electrical supply lines. Not only do you risk the safety of your home, you could endanger workers trying to restore services. If you have sustained damage that makes staying in your home a threat, please do not stay and try to ride it out. Find alternate shelter and have a professional assess and repair damage.
Be alert for displaced wildlife and protect yourself accordingly. Standing water can be a refuge for snakes and other undesirable encounters; do not allow children to play in standing water.
Flooding is a part of a large storm event and we urge that you assess any situation thoroughly before venturing out. If you cannot readily discern the depth of standing water do not attempt to drive through it or wade into. What appears to be calm on the surface may have a very strong undercurrent and pose a significant danger.
Depending on the severity of the damage, debris pick-up will either be collected by Public Works personnel or through a debris management company contracted out by the City. In either case, debris should be placed curbside as soon as possible following the storm. Care should be taken not to place debris in the roadway or obstruct a fire hydrant or mailbox.
Heavy rains that are common with many types of storms will cause flooding in swales. It is important to remember that the swale is designed to hold water. In the event the flooding is so severe that it is threatening to enter your home, please call Public Works at (386) 986-2335.
Do not approach or try to move downed power lines from the roadway. Additionally, do not attempt to remove trees that are leaning on power lines. Public Works cannot move these either. Please call FPL at 800-4-OUTAGE to report this.
Trees that are down in the right-of-way will be removed by Public Works. Please call (386) 986-2335 to report this.
Solid Waste collection will resume its normal schedule as soon as possible following any event. Your household solid waste, recyclables and yard waste can be placed in its normal location for collection on your scheduled days. Remember that yard waste must be bagged, bundled, or containerized for collection. Excessive tree debris may be collected as an expanded service after a storm when moved to the right-of-way. Bulk items such as large furniture and materials relating to construction, may be collected as expanded service as well. Construction debris is not included in normal collection service. For additional questions please call (386) 986-2330.
Traffic signal outages can be reported to Public Works at (386) 986-2335.
Downed street and stop signs can be reported to Public Works at (386) 986-2335.
Community Emergency Response Team Program
In 2004 the Palm Coast Fire Department received a grant from the State of Florida to set up and direct a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to serve the community in the event of a local disaster situation. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.
The CERT course is taught in the community by a trained team of first responders who have completed a CERT Train-the-Trainer course conducted by their state training office for emergency management, or FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI), located in Emmitsburg, Maryland. CERT training includes disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue operations.
To date, the City's Fire Department's efforts have centered on building a team of trainers, securing the equipment and uniforms for the volunteer members and contacting areas and developments where we feel this program would be most beneficial. We have recently begun the process of recruiting neighborhood leaders and anticipate the program to be up and running in the very near future.
Our CERT program is made up of the following State Certified Instructors and is led by Lt. Randy Holmes,Chairman; Co-Chairman, Volunteer Lt. Pete Riccio; Lt. Larry Ruggieri; Volunteer Captain Joe Masters; Lt. Tom Ascone; and Fire Fighters/Emergency Medical Technicians Brian Mugford, Leo Chumaceiro, and Rich Cline.