[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 164 (Tuesday, October 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY OF THE NEW MONROE COUNTY 
                      EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CARLOS A. GIMENEZ

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 18, 2022

  Mr. GIMENEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate today's 
groundbreaking of the new Monroe County Emergency Operations Center 
(EOC). This center, which combines several existing emergency 
organizations in one 28,321-square-foot space, will greatly assist 
county officials in the Florida Keys to prepare for future natural 
disasters in our resilient community.
  Monroe County's EOC previously occupied the top floor of the Marathon 
Government Center. In 2017, Hurricane Irma forced EOC staff to evacuate 
the center just one day before it made landfall 30 miles west of 
Marathon, due to its lack of protections for Category 3 and above 
hurricanes.
  The new EOC's features include a 20-foot first floor elevation, 
Category-5 hurricane-hardened walls, self-sustaining drinking water for 
up to 72 hours, and emergency power and communications systems. In 
addition, the location, at the west end of Marathon International 
Airport, is highly strategic. If Overseas Highway becomes unusable, the 
EOC will be able to quickly facilitate the dispersal of aid coming in 
through the airfield. This critical infrastructure will improve the 
county's emergency response capacity and ensures Monroe County will 
have the necessary tools to maintain resiliency and preparedness when 
natural disasters impact our coast. I am proud that the state and 
federal governments assisted the county in securing $30.2 million of 
the necessary funds to commence the project.
  South Florida's residents face extreme weather every year, and 
improving hurricane resiliency is paramount. This long-overdue 
facility--Monroe County's first dedicated emergency operations center--
will act as the crucial hub for all future emergency responses. As a 
lifelong first responder who served as Fire Chief of the City of Miami 
Fire Department during Hurricane Andrew and Mayor of Miami-Dade County 
for nine years, I know firsthand how important a rapid and effective 
disaster response is. I applaud all the individuals and agencies who 
worked hard to make this center a reality, and I look forward to the 
speedy completion of the project.

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