TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis held a call with Chief Mike Rampino of North River Fire District to assess firefighter’s emergency response efforts related to the emergency at the Piney Point Reservoir in Bradenton. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) stands ready to support the emergency response efforts led by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DMS) in coordination with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
 
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “This morning, I held a call with Chief Rampino of the North River Fire District who is prepared to assist with emergency efforts near the Piney Point Reservoir. The district has been monitoring potential threats to natural gas infrastructure as well as an area jail, and I wanted the chief to know we stand ready to provide any needed support to protect families and property. My top priority is to ensure our firefighters have the resources and support they need to protect the health and safety of Floridians and to help mitigate damage to surrounding communities from possible flooding caused by a breach of the faulty reservoir. Our firefighters are the tip of the spear in so many emergency situations throughout our state and I cannot thank them enough for their hard work in supporting the Division of Emergency Management.
 
“Thank you to Chief Mike Rampino, Governor Ron DeSantis, DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein, DEM Director Jared Moskowitz, the National Guard and all of our firefighters working overtime this Easter weekend to protect our communities from the potential Piney Point Reservoir threat.”