Chapter 252, Florida Statutes (State Emergency Management Act), mandates the development of the Florida State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District Seven in Tampa, Florida, developed its own CEMP specific to the region and tasked PBS&J, as the general engineering consultant to the District, with revising the CEMP to encompass human-caused events and assist in its implementation.

The CEMP’s purpose is to provide a framework through which the District prepares, responds, and mitigates the impact of a wide variety of disasters that could adversely affect the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of the District. The plan provides guidance to District officials on procedures, organization, and responsibilities in effecting an integrated and coordinated response, one that coordinates the resources to support emergency transportation needs during and emergency or disaster.
 
PBS&J’s assisted the District’s Emergency Operations Coordinator (EOC) in updating the CEMP, developing and conducting necessary training and exercises, validating the plan, and integrating the CEMP with the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and Continuity of Government (CoG) plan. Validation was achieved through the conduct of exercises that demonstrated the acquired skills learned during training. The training and exercise program developed by PBS&J was directed at executive staff, emergency operations center personnel, emergency management and response support personnel, middle management, and local government representatives. PBS&J provided technical assistance and functional support to the EOC related to staff, procedures, management tools, and other support capabilities necessary during emergency operations.