(1) The Division of Emergency Management is established within the Executive Office of the Governor. The division shall be a separate budget entity, as provided in the General Appropriations Act and shall prepare and submit a budget request in accordance with chapter 216. The division shall be responsible for all professional, technical, and administrative support functions necessary to carry out its responsibilities under part I of chapter 252. The director of the division shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor and shall be the head of the division for all purposes. The division shall administer programs to rapidly apply all available aid to communities stricken by an emergency as defined in s. 252.34 and, for this purpose, shall provide liaison with federal agencies and other public and private agencies. (2) The State Watch Office is established within the Division of Emergency Management.(a) The primary purpose of the office is to record, analyze, and share information with federal, state, and county entities for appropriate response to emergencies.
(b) The office is not a dispatch center, but a clearinghouse of information to be shared with other governmental entities that can independently act within their own authority and protocols.
