LTC 72-2003 CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No.
To:
From:
Subject:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez ~¢-"~
City Manager
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Date: March 21, 2003
The purpose of this LTC is to inform you that the Administration continues to work to
ensure that the City of Miami Beach is prepared and has a plan to handle any critical
incidents that may arise as a result of an emergency.
In response to the recent increase in the terror alert level representatives from the
Administration have been meeting throughout the week to continue working on the City's
Emergency Preparedness & Recovery Plans. Staff leads for the Operations, Logistics,
Administration, Information and Planning, Police, and Fire functional areas will continue to
meet to regularly update the City's plan, ensuring the City is prepared to respond
proactively in any emergency situation.
The attached notice signed by the Mayor and me is being distributed to residents,
businesses and visitors, reassuring all that the City is vigorously working with other local,
state and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure that a concentrated citywide effort is
underway which promotes maximum safety efforts while ensuring the continuity of
government services to our community during any time of crisis. We plan to publish the
letter in the Miami Herald Neighbors and in the Sunpost as well as several Spanish
language publications. The notice has also been posted on the internet and employee
intranet, with links to external websites with additional information.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact
me.
Electronic Copy: Executive Staff and Management Team
JMG/ri
F:/cmgr/all/LTC-03/Emergency Preparedness.doc
CItY Of MIAMI BEACH
1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE
NIAHI BEACH, FLORIDA 33 I 39
DAVID DERMER
MAYOR
March 21,2003
Dear Miami Beach Community:
As you are aware, we are all facing a difficult time as a result of the recent world events. In the
aftermath of 9/11, the City of Miami Beach has been preparing to protect our community, our
residents and visitors from any future threat. The Miami Beach Police and Fire Departments as
well as all our City Departments, have been working tirelessly to ensure that the City has a plan
to handle any critical incidents that may arise.
As you may know, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has raised the national threat
level from an "Elevated" to "High Risk" of terrorist attack or what the federal government refers
to as "Level Oran.qe."
The City of Miami Beach continues to coordinate the necessary security efforts with federal,
state and local law enforcement to ensure that action is directed at maximizing safety, while
ensuring the continuity of government services to our community. The City asks that the public
remain vigilant and with a heightened awareness during this time. I encourage you to monitor
the news, as well as the City's website (www. miamibeachfl.qov) and Channel 20 for the most
up-to-date information. We have created a section on our website that specifically deals with
emergency preparedness and where you can also register for the City's E-News. You may also
want to refer to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website, www. ready.,qov, for
additional suggestions regarding personal and family emergency preparedness plans.
RESIDENTS and BUSINESSES
If you have any questions or need any information, feel free to call the City's new Answer
Center which is in operation Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In the event of
an emergency, the Answer Center will remain open 24 hours a day. The phone # for the
Answer Center is 305-604-CITY (2489). If you need to report a non-emergency to the Miami
Beach Police Department, please call the Police non-emergency phone # 305-673-7900. If you
need to report an emergency, please call 911.
VISITORS and TOURISTS
The City's 24-hour tourism hotline will continue to be in operation. The Tourism Hotline phone #
is 305-673-7400. Please feel free to distribute this number to visitors that may have a concern
or question or if there is any way the City can help them while visiting our community.
st assured that the City is taking every necessary precaution to ensure your safety.
,1. Gonzalez ~
Mayor, City of Miami Beach City Manager, City of Miami Beach