HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/16/20 - Situation Report No. 30
9%
PostiveNegative
91%
to Date
SLC Test Results
/ StLucieGOV
10
15-Apr
5
8
13-Apr
7
1
11-Apr
4
12
9-Apr
2
REPORT
12
7-Apr
18
New Daily
Cases 19
5-Apr
2
-
EST
12
3-Apr
19
1
SLC
1-Apr
7
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@
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201510
15-Apr
179
16
-
13-Apr
164
(4357)
SITUATION
11-Apr
148
9
9-Apr
7-Apr
130
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Total Florida Cases
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Cumulative
PUBLISHED: 04
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-
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460
Total Cases
#
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1-Apr
47
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19 EOC
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Total Florida CasesCounties with Most Confirmed Cases
REPORT
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ATION
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ChangeCurrent
Current
Current
4
3 COVID SITU
Current
Counties
County
Florida
Lucie
South
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Surrounding
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Cases in St.
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Cases
*Cumulative number of hospitalizations due to COVID Sources: Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection & Florida Division of Emergency Management
COVIDSnapshot
Emergency Operations Center
Situation Report #30
Public Safety Department
Division of Emergency Management
Operational Period
EVENT/INCIDENT EOC Activation
April 16, 2020 0800
COVID-19 Level 2 (Partial Activation)
April 17, 2020 0800
Date: April 16, 2020 Time: 1500 HRS
To date, the State has received 14,610 Mission Requests, which continues to place strain their ability to
prioritize and fulfill these requests. The State has requested Counties consider implementing a standard
supply for 10-days of PPE equipment. If a County has more than a 10-day supply, the State is asking
them to push supplies to Counties that are in critical need.
The Animal Safety, Services & Protection Division will be adjusting their responses to calls for service
following COVID-19 recommended protocols from the National Animal Control Association. Effective
Thursday, April 16 and until further notice in order to further reduce the possibility of community spread of
COVID-19. Critical mission service responses will continue while lower priority or requests for owner
surrenders will be fielded by phone or emails. If residents are experiencing an animal situation, they can
still call 9-1-1 to report an incident, which will be fielded by Animal Safety. County staff will continue to
operate the temporary animal shelter and care for any animals that are received. If someone has lost their
pet, they can check the County website to see if it is being housed at the temporary shelter
www.stlucieco.gov/lost_pets.
The CDC has issued additional guidance on the prevention of COVID19 within long-term care facilities
The updated guidance recommends that nursing homes:
Act now to implement ALL COVID-19 preparedness recommendations, even before cases are
identified in their community
Address asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, implement source control for everyone
entering a healthcare facility (e.g., healthcare personnel, patients, visitors), regardless of
symptoms.
Cloth face coverings are not considered personal protective equipment (PPE) because their
capability to protect healthcare personnel (HCP) is unknown. Facemasks, if available, should be
reserved for HCP.
For visitors and residents, a cloth face covering may be appropriate. If a visitor or resident arrives
to the facility without a cloth face covering, a facemask may be used for source control if supplies
are available.
Dedicate an area of the facility to care for residents with suspected or confirmed COVID-19;
consider creating a staffing plan for that specific location
The CDC also issued new recommendations for pet owners during the CDC COVID-19 event. New
household, to wear a cloth face covering if sick and caring for pets, and to contact your vet if sick and
your pet gets sick.
See below for a summary of new pet recommendations:
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Until we learn more about how this virus affects animals, treat pets as you would other human
family members to protect them from a potential infection.
Do not let pets interact with people or other animals outside the household.
Keep cats indoors when possible to prevent them from interacting with other animals or people.
Walk dogs on a leash, maintaining at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people and animals.
Avoid dog parks or public places where a large number of people and dogs gather.
If you are sick with COVID-19 (either suspected or confirmed by a test), you should restrict contact
with your pets and other animals, just like you would around other people.
When possible, have another member of your household care for your pets while you are sick.
Avoid contact with your pet including, petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food
or bedding.
If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wear a cloth face covering
and wash your hands before and after you interact with them.
If you are sick with COVID-19 and your pet becomes sick, do not take your pet to the veterinary
clinic yourself.
Call your veterinarian and let them know you have been sick with COVID-19.
Some veterinarians may offer telemedicine consultations or other alternate plans for seeing sick
pets.
Your veterinarian can evaluate your pet and determine the next steps for y
care.
COMPREHENSIVE STAKEHOLDER STATUS UPDATES
Department of Health in St. Lucie - DOH in St. Lucie is operating in some limited capacity at all
locations, and continues to serve the public with priority services as listed below. Each location has
established a single point of entry for each building with trained staff monitoring client and employee
temperatures upon entering a building.
As part of our ESF-8 Health and Medical function, several staff have transitioned to COVID-19 duties
which include;
assisting with epidemiology cases
submitting and prioritizing resource requests
providing COVID-19 related information to the public, clients and community partners
Currently we have no unmet needs at our facilities.
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City of Port St. Lucie - Currently the City is continuing Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning for
non-essential employees to ensure only mission critical personnel are working onsite to reduce the risk of
COVID-19 exposure.
Over 300 employees are working remotely, and additional planning is being conducted to increase
telework capabilities.
The City is continuing with the development and implementation of Pandemic Influenza plans as
the situation progresses.
The Logistics section has been working to fulfill the resource and PPE requests of the Police
Department and other critical employees, through locally sourced vendors and is prioritizing
distribution based on essential needs.
Discussions continue with local businesses and social services agencies to identify and meet the
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needs of the community.
The City is continuing to coordinate with SLC Emergency Management should any support be
needed for non-congregate sheltering, alternate care facilities, and/or distribution sites.
St. Lucie County Tax Collector - We have no unmet needs. We are currently operating on split shifts
(A/B) with A shift working M/T and B shift working W/Th. Our offices are closed on Fridays until further
notice. Any of our staff that can work from home are doing so (finance, much of our tax team, some
administration). Our front line staff are wearing masks. We had some cloth masks donated, and we were
able to order some online (they arrived today).
Challenges - R not all
transactions we are processing are essential they could wait or the transaction could be done online.
We also have quite a few people each day coming in from other Counties or out of State seeking service.
We are not servicing out of county residents at this time.
Our budget appears to be ok at the moment. Because we have been able to remain open, and because
we collect our tax revenues earlier in the year, we are sitting about more than 80% collection for the fiscal
year already.
St. Lucie County Property Appraiser - The PAO continues to serve the public during normal business
hours (Monday thru Friday from 8 am 5 pm). A quarter of staff is working remotely, we are still utilizing
all office spaces to ensure adequate social distancing for those working in the office. We are to provide
estimate numbers to all Taxing Authorities by June 1 and I feel confident we will meet that goal.
I know this has already lasted longer than anyone likes but as we look into the future I am wondering
social distancing will be encouraged but just wanted to let you know that we have two times a year where
we generally see a significant uptick with in person visits. That is the month of February and for the 25
days following our TRIM mailing in mid-August. This is something we are working on now and would
appreciate hearing any direction or planning that the BOCC has set for that time frame.
St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court - Our Downtown Fort Pierce office is now open to the public
Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until further notice. Our St. Lucie West office is closed and will be a
backup for our services in case the downtown Fort Pierce office is deemed uninhabitable for a short
period of time.
We are also operating on two-team schedule. Team A works one week in the office, then Team B works
the other week in the office. We are down to roughly 50-60 employees in the office on a given day.
Everyone else is working remotely.
Customers can only enter our first floor through the front of our building. Employees are asked to only
enter through the back entrance of the building. Customers should only be coming in for essential court
services, such as filing domestic violence injunctions, Baker Acts, and Marchman Acts. Arraignments and
other essential court services continue to take place. We are also continuing to issue marriage licenses
by appointment. Documents can also be dropped off in the lobby to be recorded into Official Records or
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filed into an existing case.
Most of our services are available online. A complete list of updates to our services are posted regularly
to our Emergency page: www.stlucieclerk.com/emergency.
them. We have been making due with the C
desks cleaned whenever we switch over, for instance. We understand masks are very limited, but with
the urgency to wear them more and more in public, I feel there is heightened demand now.
Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida - Both the main courthouse in downtown Fort Pierce and
annex in St Lucie West are currently staffed and we have not closed an entire floor of any building. Both
locations are open to the public in a limited capacity. All in-person non-critical court proceedings are
th
suspended through May 29. To the extent possible, the courts will conduct these proceedings
electronically. Our essential services include
First appearance hearings;
Juvenile dependency shelter hearings;
Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) advisory hearings; Hearings on petitions for Judicial Waiver
of Notice;
Juvenile delinquency detention hearings;
Hearings on ex parte petitions for temporary injunctions relating to safety of an individual;
Instanter hearings on child support writ reviews; Hearings on ex parte petitions for risk protection
orders;
Hearings on petitions for the appointment of an emergency temporary guardian;
Hearings on Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders;
Involuntary commitment hearings under the Baker Act or Marchman Act;
Hearings on motions to set or modify monetary bond for defendants in custody;
Hearings on petitions for extraordinary writs as necessary to protect constitutional rights;
Criminal arraignments as necessary;
Issuance of warrants or authorization for wiretaps;
Other emergency or time-sensitive matters as determined by the presiding judge.
A change of plea hearing that results in release from county jail.
Additionally, the court will hear, as necessary, critical proceedings related to the state of
emergency or the public health emergency, including but not limited to:
Violation of quarantine or isolation;
Violation of orders to limit travel;
Violation of orders to close public or private buildings; and
Enforcement of curfew orders.
If circumstances require our services to be suspended, our services will continue to operate out both
Courthouses, the same as we are operating now. We have instituted a single point of entry for the public.
Judges and staff enter through a separate entrance designated for employees only.
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- Are you operating staff at all locations? Yes Have
you closed an entire floor of your building? No
Are you open to the public at all locations? No. The public is not being admitted beyond the front
nd
lobby of the main building at 411 S. 2 St
Are some of your services limited or suspended? Yes
What are your essential services? If circumstances require your services to be suspended, where
will your essential functions operate out of? Are you prepared to do this? We are prepared to have
all attorneys work remotely. Our ability to have support staff work remotely is hampered by a
shortage of laptop computers, so at a minimum we will need to maintain a physical presence in the
building.
Are you implementing a single entry point to your facility? No
Nineteenth Judicial Circuit - We are operating out of the Ft. Pierce office at
216 S. Second Street and the Walton Road Office. We have temporarily closed our office on Atlantic
Avenue. We have also closed several offices within the Ft. Pierce main office building. These have been
cleaned and noted with signs on the appropriate doors.
We are not open to the public at either open location.
Services are limited due to the Supreme Court Executive Order outlining our essential services.
Attorneys appear remotely for court functions. A rotating skeleton crew is operating in all of our offices in
the four (4) counties. Other personnel are working remotely from home where capable.
Employees are able to utilize all entry points in the Ft. Pierce building. Limited non-employees, such as
delivery men and select volunteers, are only able to use the front door.
The Walton Road office is on the second floor of the Conrad Building which also houses the DMV and
There is a security officer manning the front door. Visitors are screened for
access and allowed in singly. Our office on the second floor has a single point of entry.
Therefore, we are requesting a
limited supply of these items for Ft. Pierce personnel, from St. Lucie County, in order to perform our
essential job duties.
Treasure Coast Food Bank - Treasure Coast Food Bank continues to serve each of its Counties (Indian
River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie) daily through its network of partner agencies and through
mobile food distributions. 90% of our partners remain open to the public and are distributing as usual.
et
completed by those in need who are homebound, so that they can receive a food delivery directly
to their door.
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Treasure Coast Food Bank is working with directly with the City of Port St. Lucie to coordinate a
st
drive-thru mobile food distribution on Friday, May 1 at the St. Lucie County Civic Center. St. Lucie
County PD will be coordinating traffic flow and support for this event will come from a limited
number of county employees, TCFB staff and volunteer support from Christ Fellowship Church.
Time TBD.
St. Lucie County Fairgrounds has agreed to stage food and water as overflow storage space due
to increased demand for food during COVID-19.
TCFB could still use support for refrigerated and frozen storage space, which could include on-site
or off site trailers.
Florida Power & Light (FPL) - Florida Power & Light Company has had a pandemic plan in place for
many years, and regularly trains and drills for unplanned events and crises. The company understands
the critical role electricity plays in the economy and daily lives of Floridians. Regardless of the
circumstances, FPL remains steadfastly committed to continuously delivering the reliable and affordable
electricity that everyone relies on. If customers are experiencing hardship as a result of the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic, FPL has resources available at FPL.com/Help, in addition to those available from
federal, state and local authorities. To further assist customers, FPL has also implemented the same
policies that it does during crises, which include:
Suspending electrical disconnections
Providing payment extensions
Waiving certain late payment fees for customers in a hardship situation
These policies will remain in effect while Florida is under a State of Emergency.
Fort Pierce Utilities - FPUA is currently staffing all of its facilities with minimal personnel.
The only public access we currently have open is through our drive through at our downtown
facility.
We are only working on maintenance and ongoing construction projects. We have scaled back our
Gas turn-ons to appointment only.
We are still providing Water, Gas, Electric, and Waste Water Services to our customers. We will
continue to do what is necessary to provide these services to our customers
We have implemented a single point of entry with daily temperature scans for all employees,
vendors, and delivery drivers.
St. Lucie County Community Service Department - Veterans Services - Van transportation to VA
hospital continues with reduced riders. Office operations continue via telephone, email, fax and snail mail
Human Services - No updates to report.
Transit - The Transit Division would like to request masks from the EOC for the safety of the bus
operators if available. In regards to a recovery plan, the Treasure Coast Connector has not modified nor
suspended services and continues to stand ready to provide trips, all of which are contingent upon the
reopening of businesses, etc. The af
form is available at www.SLCRide.org.
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circumstances, our ridership levels have remained constant over the past three weeks. As of today, there
are no new operational updates to report. The ridership levels continue to remain constant:
Demand Response: 123
Fixed Route: 1453
MicroTransit: 5
Operations: We continue to work with County staff in the development of the operational uses for the
5307 CARES Act funding. Keeping an adequate supply of masks is challenging, and we continue to
check all sources, some handmade masks have been supplied as well. Some vendors are keeping is
informed on a regular basis regarding certain sanitizing supplies.
Housing - With guidance from the Florida Housing Coalition and Florida Housing Finance Corporation the
Housing Division is in the process of rolling out the COVID-19 Rental Eviction and Mortgage Delinquency
Prevention Program. The program will be funded using State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP)
program funding. Approximately $251,000 in funding is available. This funding will assist approximately
83 households. Please note we are still fine-tuning the specifics, however below are some program
specifics that will be implemented.
Homeowner/renter in unincorporated SLC (PSL/FP are implementing programs for their
jurisdictions) with household incomes at or below 80% of the Area Median Income as determined
by the 2019 SHIP Income Limits.
Eligible for onetime payments of 2 months of mortgage or rent payments due April 1st or onward
with a maximum payment of $3,000.
Paid directly to the landlord or mortgage company
If unemployed, applicants must have applied for unemployment.
Must have documentation from employer that the loss/reduction of employment income was
COVID related.
Applications will be processed on a first-come, first eligible basis from all applicant(s) meeting
program eligibility criteria, subjec
The Housing Division has been participating in a weekly conference call with Fort Pierce and PSL to
coordinate and share ideas for program construction and implementation. Erick Gill (PIO) is assisting with
outreach on SLCTV and social media. Webpages are being built for this program. We anticipate putting
out the word that funding is available between 4/20 and 4/23. Applications will likely begin being accepted
on 4/27.
A search of the multiple listing service identified ~200 rental housing units under $2,000/month.
This number went down to 39 units when using search parameters for the Fair Market Rent limits
based on unit size and income.
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FDEM was emailed requesting guidance on the Housing Recovery Support Function for this
specific event.
DEO was contacted regarding funding for non-entitlement communities. Money is being allocated
from HUD to DEO for small cities communities, but it is still unclear how much and what the
the most time consuming federal regs.
HUD CPD Representative has been contacted about HOME funds. No early release of HOME
funds or specific guidance regarding HOME. HOME cannot be used for emergency response.
Council on Aging of St. Lucie, Inc./Community Transit Stakeholder - The COVID-19 crisis has had a
dramatic impact on the ridership levels for COASL's fixed route system, Treasure Coast Connector, and
our paratransit system, Community Transit. As the contracted provider to provide transit service in St.
Lucie County, we have worked diligently with County staff to ensure that the transit system operates in a
safe manner during this time. The decrease in ridership has been more than 60 percent, but has
stabilized during the past two weeks.
Operations: To date, there have been no reductions in services provided. In order to minimize exposures
and to comply with the Governor's Executive Orders, any personnel who can work remotely from home
are doing so. Our bus drivers continue to show their commitment to the community. We have only a small
percentage of drivers who have had to take a leave of absence because of this crisis.
We have implemented social distancing on the buses, requiring the first seats near the driver to remain
empty, and then passengers are required to sit in alternate seats so no one is directly seated next to
another passenger. The buses are being sanitized at the end of each run, and at the end of each day.
Extensive cleanings are being completed each weekend to further enhance the sanitization efforts.
The drivers have been supplied with face masks. Starting this week, notices are being placed on the
buses and on our social media sites to "STRONGLY ENCOURAGE" all passengers to wear face masks.
We are committed to providing the transit services in the safest manner possible for our drivers and the
passengers.
Needs:Our need continues to be securing a continuing supply of face masks for our drivers. We have
secured a supply from Perkins Medical on two occasions, but they will no longer sell in a bulk quantity. To
date, our glove orders continue to be sufficient, but the back order timing does appear to be increasing
St. Lucie County Tourism & Marketing - The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the travel and hospitality
(restaurants, retail, etc.) industry to be one of the first and hardest hit sectors of our economy. This impact
is happening on a state, national and global scale. The purpose of this memo is to provide you with an
impacts.
Our office is hyper-focused on the local travel and hospitality industry. That being said, we have
categorized our current activities in two buckets:
1. Response -- what we are doing now
2. Recovery -- what we are doing to plan for recovery
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RESPONSE
Staying up to date on orders coming from the Federal, State and local level and communicating
these updates to our local industry (i.e. beaches closing, private vacation rental restrictions, etc.) if
they impact local businesses.
Closely monitoring and tracking hotel & private vacation rental activity and revenue to gather as
much data as we can to forecast revenue losses and any budget adjustments that may need to be
made during this fiscal year and perhaps next year. At this time, we have paused and/or
postponed all paid advertising knowing that we will see a sharp decline in March, April and likely
May TDT revenues.
Staff is collectively or individually participating in several weekly webinars and conference calls
with industry partners and experts to gain updates and insight on the current and future travel
industry.
We've partnered with the SLC Economic Development Council, the SLC Chamber of Commerce,
CareerSource and the Small Business Development Office at IRSC to assist in the creation of and
fielding calls
from local businesses and directing them to the business recovery and resources needed. We are
The tourism office staff has developed a database of nearly 500 small businesses that fall within
the travel and hospitality industry and we have personally reached out to business owners to let
them know we are here to help and there are resources available such as:
o Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program (www.floridadisasterloan.org) --
state program
o Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan (www.sba.gov) -- federal
program
o Families First Act (www.dol.gov) -- federal program
o CARES Act federal program
o With the help of the EDC and CareerSource, we are maintaining a list of local businesses
that are hiring and sharing it with business owners who have had to lay off staff
o Others as needed
To further assist the restaurant industry and push our #SupportStLucie message, we have
partnered with the Firefly group and Tambone Companies. Together, we have built out a website
that lists food establishments doing curbside pick-up, take-out and delivery services. This page is
being heavily promoted on our social media platforms, by email and hopefully publicized by the
local media.
We are still active on our social media and content sharing platforms -- all of our posts are being
posted organically as not to incur any extra expenses at this time:
o On these platforms, we have shifted to an "inspirational" strategy that allows us to provide
content that still keeps us in the mind of our followers, but while still being sensitive to the
COVID-19 situation. We are using many "virtual" trip videos along with photos and ideas to
consider when it becomes responsible to travel again. We are getting good engagement on
this. We are using the hashtag #SeeYouInStLucie to track this activity.
RECOVERY
We are working with our Treasure Coast tourism partners (Indian River & Martin County) on a
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strategic marketing plan for our recovery for Florida's Treasure Coast.
We are working as a division and with our media vendor partners and local industry partners
(hotels, attractions, etc.) to build a strategic marketing plan for recovery for St. Lucie.
Both of the plans will be in place and ready to roll out with it's responsible to do so.
The Tourism Division is honored to be working with amazing partners that are helping to assist
businesses that are suffering. We have experienced that sometimes just the phone call makes a
difference to a business owner. We are maintaining our perseverance and hope knowing that the tourism
industry is very resilient and has recovered from many previous disasters.
South Florida Water Management District - South Florida Water Management District (District) facilities
are open to staff, closed to public.
Social distancing required for all staff at District workplaces
The District has temporarily closed public access to some District Lands. Camping is suspended
on ALL District Lands until further notice. For more information visit SFWMD.gov/Recreation.
The EOC is operating at Level 2 - Partial Activation
SECTION REPORTS
Reporting Sections
Finance/Administration Section
The Finance/Administration Section has completed the breakdown of expenses incurred to date for the
COVID-19 response. Additionally, Section staff are working on reviewing and tracking FEMA
documentation forms.
Logistics Section
(ESF02 Communications) No significant change. They are receiving approximately about 12 calls per
hour between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM. The Public Information Line (PIL) is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday
through Saturdays.
(ESF06 Mass Care) Student meal servings have changed to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Two
(2) : Breakfast and lunch. About 9,000 meals
to families.
(ESF07-Resource Management) Received one (1) shipment of three (3) pallets at the Logistics Center
and completed the distribution of all previous FDOH orders.
Logistics is working to complete the Non Congregate Sheltering Plan and working with Planning on how
to request State and FEMA assistance for the set-up of Non Congregate Sheltering. (22) Counties have
been Approved, (12) are pending FEMA approval and (5) counties have amended their applications and
awaiting FEMA approval.
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Operations Section
County COOP Branch: staff continues to
provide critical mission services for businesses and residents; however, there will be a temporary
reduction in the number of responses to calls for service in order to further reduce the possibility of
community spread of COVID-19. If residents are experiencing an animal emergency, they can still call
www.stlucieco.gov/lost _pets to
(ESF04 - Firefighting) St. Lucie County Fire District - the Administrative Complex is currently closed to the
public. Any employee who enters the facility must be screened prior to entry. Employees who are
capable of working from home have been instructed to do so. Community Risk Reduction is closed as
well. That division receives plans that are dropped off on site outside the building in electronic format for
review. Inspections have been suspended with the exception of permitted projects and stated-required
annual inspections. Inspections in vulnerable healthcare settings such as assisting living facilities and
hospitals have been suspended as the direction of the State of Florida. Such facilities have been granted
a 90-day extension for license renewal. All personnel participate in self-monitoring with regular
screenings while on duty. Temperatures and symptoms are documented in electronic spreadsheets.
CDC recommendations regarding sick employees and their return have been implemented as well.
Fire stations have been closed to the public. Crews not involved in emergency mitigation activities must
wear cloth or surgical masks when in public. Crews are permitted to leave the station only once during a
shift to purchase food. Stations are regularly cleaned and disinfected. Work clothes are not to be worn
outside of shift work. They are to be washed and kept at the station. Crews must report to work in street
clothes and leave in street clothes. Station boots are not to be worn inside the station. Sprayers have
been procured for all stations so crews can decontaminate their apparatus and living quarters with DSV,
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an FDA-approved virocide for COVID-19. The solution is effectively sprayed with an air compressor.
When aerosol-generating procedures are performed treating suspected COVID-19 patients, units can be
taken OOS to be properly disinfected at the station while crews remove possibly contaminated clothing
and take a shower. The Risk Manager reviews every reported incident that involves a suspected COVID-
19 patient. She contacts the hospitals to follow-up on the status of patients and reports her findings to
administration and the personnel involved. Every suspected and confirmed COVID-19 transport is
documented.
In regards to unmet needs, the Fire District is fortunate to not have any immediate needs. The Fire
District was proactive in the early onset of the COVID-19 outbreak and was able to secure a sufficient
amount of required PPE to be in compliance with CDC recommendations. Burn rates are being
monitored regularly, and an increase in PPE supplies has been observed as was anticipated. N95
respirators continue to be difficult to acquire, but the Fire District has a sufficient supply to last several
weeks at the current burn rate. N95 respirators are being reused up to a maximum of 5 times before
being discarded in accordance with CDC recommendations. Such actions have minimized the burn rate
of the respirators. Gowns are in short supply, but there is enough stock for several weeks as well. There
has not been an increase in call outs, and there have been no cases of personnel contracting COVID-19.
The Fire District communicates regularly with the EOC and Department of Health. There are no concerns
at this time.
(ESF08 - Health and Medical) Department of Health (DOH) in St. Lucie continues to communicate with
local healthcare facilities in order to prioritize supply distribution.
Cleveland Clinic (Tradition): (177) Total beds, currently has (90) Available beds.
St. Lucie Medical Center: (229) Total beds, currently has (113) Available beds.
Lawnwood Regional Medical Center: (392) Total beds, currently has (124) Available beds.
They remain prepared and ready to assist St. Lucie County with all COVID-19 concerns.
(ESF16 Law Enforcement) - As soon as Governor and/or County
orders were issued we began activation. Our MO in this health crisis is to Educate, Persuade and Last
Arrest. We have backed our office personnel to immediate need operations. The main office on Midway
is closed to the public. All unessential activities (fingerprinting, background checks, report copies, etc)
are being done by phone, email or written request. There are no duties that include in person contact
being performed. Our Patrol division is working as usual with added manpower on shift, utilizing
personnel from other divisions. School Resource Deputies have been back flowed into other working
divisions which include school check, DJJ check and assisting with School Board distributions. The
Courts are working at bare minimum and even though most Judges are working by ZOOM, a deputy is
still requested in the courtroom. Our training division is working on educating our deputies on safety
Our civilian workers are working from
home, working split shift and working from other than normal offices they would report to in order to keep
social distancing. Deputies have been assigned to HQ for the sole purpose of taking reports. Crime has
not gone down, the calls have just shifted dramatically. We are seeing more domestic type crimes,
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robberies instead of burglaries and many, many reports of Stay at Home violations. The response to
People just will not stay away from the
beaches. They are parking everywhere and anywhere as long as th They are
trespassing on private property to access the beach and once in the water ignore all law enforcement
request to leave. The boat ramps and parks are jammed, not only with county citizens but many from out
of county and out of state. Parking tickets are being issued when a vehicle is causing a hazard and an
Operations are still continuing, however, in some cases in a much more creative way.
Each deputy has been issued hand sanitizer, gloves, 2 N95 masks and a full PPE kit. All our briefings
have been suspended and each person entering any of our building submits to their temperature being
taken. Special orders have been written to accommodate employees 65+ years old and those with doctor
written notes due to medical issues that might cause them to become a COVID 19 recipient. All Activities
that where scheduled through our Community Engagement Division have been cancelled or suspended
through May 2020, with options to extend the time frame. Vehicle disinfecting stations have been placed
at headquarters and the jail. All potential inmates are asked pertinent questions reference their health
and their temperature is taken prior to entry into the facility
Needs:Our needs have basically been the same throughout the health crisis. Our staff are reusing N95
masks due to lack of them. We issued gator type masks for 700 sworn law enforcement and correction
deputies to wear at all times. We have received partial orders from our WebEOC request and have been
hunting endlessly for supplies from private vendors. We are limiting our arrests to must arrest for
community safety and writing warrants or issuing Notice to Appears for those that do not need to be
incarcerated. The jail is working hard to keep COVID-19 out of the facility. Disinfecting, cleaning and
inmate separation are almost to the point of ad-nauseum. We are well aware that if the virus gets into the
jail we have a whole other problem. We have already worked out plans for alternate medical site should
this occur.
We have purchased hand sanitizer from vendors where possible an have also been making hand
sanitizer due to the inability to find it anywhere. Partial WebEOC orders have begun to come in however
none for sanitizer.
Another challenge is that we have attempted to get our deputies tested for COVID-19 when they have
been symptomatic and they have been denied because they are not 65 years old. We are now dealing
with arrestees saying that they tested positive for COVID-19 when we place them in the police car and
are under arrest. This causes high anxiety. Yet still unless our deputies are 65+ and symptomatic they
are refusing to test.
Challenges:
Inability to get adequate or appropriate supplies
Lack of Citizen cooperation to Stay at Home Order
Parking and closing of beaches
Crowded and open boat ramps and parks
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Arrestees claiming infection to prevent being arrested
Isolating inmates/arrestees that are symptomatic
Inability to get deputies tested even if they are symptomatic
In the past few days the roadways seem to be more travelled. Traffic is heavier and areas of the County
Uptick in home related/domestic type calls for service
are imminent and are already beginning.
We have no known COVID-19 employees, some employees are opting to stay home due to health or age
reasons.
City of Ft. Pierce Police Department
Operations:
The Fort Pierce Police main station and Willie B. Ellis substation are closed to the public. Fort
Pierce City Hall is closed to the public with the exception of appointments with the Building
Department.
All essential personnel are reporting to work with non-essential personnel working from home.
All police services, other than walk-in fingerprinting services, are fully operational. Any services
that can be completed via phone contact are being done in that manner.
Police essential services are to provide public safety. Those services have and will continue
unabated. With the exception of the Sunrise Theater, all other City services are continuing with
modification in certain instances.
The is no public entry to the police department at this time. Employees enter via different
entrances. Entry to City Hall is via the main door and access is monitored.
Needs:Resource requests have been partially filled for PPE and hand sanitizer. We still have open
resource requests. Our resource request for disinfectant and cleaning materials was denied due to lack of
supplies. We are trying to source as much PPE and other supplies from outside vendors when available.
Challenges: Sourcing PPE and hand sanitizer remains a major challenge at this time. We are having
great difficulty with COVID-19
category to be tested. Given that police officers are integral to public safety, and risk exposure daily,
there should be some sort of prioritization for their testing.
Planning Section
(ESF05) Situation Unit: Developing and publishing daily Situation Reports for the incident. Incident Action
thst
Plan (IAP) provided for April 16 will be in effect through April 21 and is published in WebEOC. For any
significant facility closures please send information to the email: planningchief@stlucieco.org.
(ESF05) Mission/Resource Unit: Monitoring local Resource Requests and inputting Resource Requests
into WebEOC with approval from the Incident Commander.
(ESF05) Documentation Unit: All constitutional agencies and stakeholders were to send updated
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information to formulate a Common Operating Picture (COP) by 10:00 today. Included information should
have included unmet needs, personal protective measures, financial impacts, challenges, operational
modifications, and recovery plans. All future updates to this information should be sent to the St. Lucie
County Liaison Officer, Nicole Fogarty, at FogartyN@stlucieco.org and the Planning Section Chief, at
planningchief@stlucieco.org.
Safety Officer
SOCIAL DISTANCING REMINDER:
We are relying on all stakeholders and their organizations to enforce social distancing and best practices
for preventing/slowing the spread of COVID-19. Whenever possible, the following practices should be
implemented to reduce contact within the workplace:
Avoid meeting people face-to-face. BOCC employees are encouraged to use the telephone, online
conferencing through Microsoft Teams (call IT for Assistance), e-mail or instant messaging (Cisco
Jabber) to conduct business as much as possible, even when participants are in the same office/building.
If a meeting is required, have the meeting in a well-ventilated area and ensure that all employees are at
least 6 feet apart from one another. Implement staggered work shifts so that everyone in your office is
not working at the same time. Have crew members report to the main work site instead of riding together
in one truck. Family First Act informational posters have been distributed for employee education to all St.
Lucie County Departments.
BACKGROUND
A State of Local Emergency was declared in St. Lucie County (SLC) on 3/17/2020; the Governor of
Florida issued a State of Emergency on 3/16/2020; the President of the United States issued a Federal
Disaster Declaration on 3/13/2020. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated at 0800
hours on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Medical and cleaning supplies remain on backorder with the
Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). The State EOC has received an overwhelming
volume of requests, therefore, priority remains with counties experiencing the greater number of COVID-
19 cases. In preparation for future medical needs, St. Lucie County continues to support the Department
of Health in identifying potential alternate care sites and resource coordination. The County has prepared
the Havert L. Fenn Center as an Alternate Care Site to be available in case of surge. The County
continues to distribute information regarding COVID-
briefs.
Executive Order 20-92 remains in effect to limit statewide movement and personal interactions of people
outside of their home to essential services.
Operations and essential public safety functions remain active and working remotely when available in
order to adhere to social distancing guidelines and best practices.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed by President Trump in late
March provided $150 billion in direct support to only those local governments with a population of 500,000
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or more. Congressman Mast supports the Coronavirus Community Relief Act which will provide local
governments with $250 billion in direct funding. This Bill will provide funding to all local governments with
fewer than 500,000 people on a per capita basis (below 500,000 people because those entities are
funded via the CARES Act), and allow them to use the funding to offset lost revenue due to the pandemic.
All employees working EOC functions are requested to track work related hours daily and complete
FEMA forms and Summary Documents.
Department of Health in St. Lucie continues to compile a volunteer force of qualified medical
professionals to manage increases in COVID-19 cases, if the need arises. The Florida Department of
Health in St. Lucie operates a Medical Reserve Corps that can be activated in situations such as the
current pandemic. Any licensed healthcare professional who is willing to volunteer in the event there is a
need for additional doctors, nurses, EMTs and other healthcare experts are encouraged to register
at https://www.flhealthresponse.com/mrcvolunteer. Under Florida Statute 110.504, sovereign immunity is
provided to volunteers. State Statute 768.28 is the Sovereign Immunity Law and 768.1355 is the
Volunteer Protection Act which allows licensed professionals to volunteer, and have their
licenses protected. Every medical professional that registers will be vetted by the Florida Department of
Health before being activated.
RESOURCES
The Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Call Center can be accessed by calling 1-(866) 779-6121.
The Call Center is available 24 hours / 7 days. Public Information Line 772-460-HELP (4357). Inquiries
may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov. You can also contact the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) for information by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) or go to
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. High recommendation is given to practice
protective measures for employees, essential functions, and alternate work capabilities (e.g., telework,
alternate schedules). For detailed information on preparing the workplace see the Occupational Safety
and Health (OSHA) Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.
To ensure continuity of operations of essential functions, the CDC advises that critical infrastructure
workers may be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they
remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community.
Critical Infrastructure workers who have had an exposure but remain asymptomatic should adhere to the
following practices prior to and during their work shift:
Pre-Screen:
to them starting work. Ideally, temperature checks should happen before the individual enters the
facility.
Regular Monitoring:
should self- occupational health program.
Wear a Mask: The employee should wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14
cloth face coverings in the event of shortages.
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Social Distance:The employee should maintain 6 feet and practice social distancing as work
duties permit in the workplace.
Disinfect and Clean Work Spaces:Clean and disinfect all areas such as offices, bathrooms,
common areas, shared electronic equipment routinely.
DOH Division of Disease Control Emergency Rule: Disease or Conditions to be Reported 64DER20-26
(64D-3.029) requires immediate reporting of suspected or confirmed cases and both positive and
negative test results of Coronavirus (COVID-19) by physicians, hospitals, and laboratories. The person to
be contacted regarding the emergency rule is: Carina Blackmore, Florida Department of Health, 4052
Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1703, (850)245-4732.
Phone Number: 772-462-8203
Prepared by: Benjamin Balcer/Karina Arroyo
Fax Number: 772-462-8484E-mail Address: balcerb@stlucieco.org
15305 W Midway Rd Latitude: 30.59824 16R DU 93318508
County EOC Location:
Ft. Pierce FL 34945Longitude: 87.06948
HOTLINE / MEDIA INFORMATION
Public Information Line#
772-460-4357 (460-HELP)PIO Phone #: 772-462-8100PIO: Erick Gill
Approved by: Leslie Olson,Planning Section Chief
Date/Time: April 16, 2020
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