TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis today announced that law enforcement personnel from the Department of Financial Services will join the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and others to offer aid in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.

 

CFO Patronis said, “Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, leaving many families with nothing but the few belongings they could carry as they fled their homes. As Florida continues to rebuild after Irma, I know that disaster recovery requires an ‘all hands-on deck’ approach, and I’m proud to make resources available to help Puerto Rico get back on its feet. The needs are great, and we’ll do what we can do assist during this difficult time.”

 

To help assess the law enforcement needs in the area, the Department is deploying Major Karl Morgan from the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations to join an eight-person incident management team. Additional resources, including heavy land-clearing equipment used during Hurricane Irma recovery efforts, remain on standby.

 

While in Puerto Rico, a collective law enforcement team coordinated by FDLE will conduct recovery missions and offer security resources to protect relief materials being shipped or flown into the coastal territory.

 

Florida-based personnel and resources are made available to Puerto Rico through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.