(1) The Disaster Preparedness Center is established at the Florida International University as the statewide center of excellence for disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience training. The purpose of the center is to serve as a statewide hub for disaster simulation, training, interagency collaboration, applied research, and education. The center shall be operated in partnership with the Division of Emergency Management.
(2) The center shall:(a) Develop and conduct rigorous, evidence-based, and scenario-based training programs on disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.
(b) Evaluate coastal and urban resilience to hurricanes, flooding, storm surge, wildfires, and other natural or human-caused hazards.
(c) Develop and operate simulation and training environments to prepare first responders, emergency managers, engineers, health professionals, and students for urban search and rescue, including collapsed structure and mass-casualty training.
(d) Construct and maintain realistic disaster simulation environments, including, but not limited to, hurricanes, flooding, storm surge, wildfires, collapsed structures, urban search-and-rescue, hazardous material areas, and emergency operations center replicas.
(e) Serve as a statewide venue for multiagency disaster exercises, emergency management certification, and continuing education.
(f) Develop best practices, resources, and training modules to support public and private sector preparedness.
(g) Support applied research in disaster preparedness and mitigation, infrastructure hardening, and recovery.
(h) Provide technical assistance to the Legislature, state agencies, local governments, and the Federal Government in evaluating and improving policies relating to resilience, emergency management, and disaster response.
(i) Collaborate with the relevant federal and state agencies and private sector entities to improve disaster readiness.
(j) Serve as a resource to assist local, state, and federal emergency operations during declared disasters.
(k) Plan and host events, workshops, and exercises to strengthen the capacity of local, state, federal, and international partners.
(3) The center may:(a) Hire faculty, staff, and technical experts and develop courses relating to resilience and rescue activities.
(b) Hold events, including symposiums, exercises, demonstrations, and conferences.
(c) Conduct, aid, and sponsor research and publish, or otherwise make available to residents and stakeholders, articles, reports, analyses, and resources.
(d) Provide training and continuing education to first responders, government officials, private sector partners, and students.
(e) Assist the Legislature and governmental entities with reports, policy analyses, testimony, and technical support.
(f) Provide scholarships, research assistantships, and fellowships for students pursuing careers in disaster response, resilience, and emergency management.
(g) Partner with other state universities, agencies, institutes, and associations to advance the center’s goals.
(h) Provide training opportunities for students, first responders, and professionals in disaster management, environmental resilience, and infrastructure testing.
(i) Facilitate commercialization of resilience technologies through partnerships with Florida businesses, startups, and industries.
(4) The Division of Emergency Management, state and local emergency response agencies, and other governmental entities may cooperate and share information with the center as needed, subject to applicable confidentiality and security requirements.
(5) The center shall be funded by appropriations provided in the General Appropriations Act, charitable grants and donations, contracts, and institutional resources.
