Hurricanes in Florida are certainly nothing new. Preparing for storm season and then responding to the needs of our communities is simply part of the job for first responders in our state. But in a season reminiscent of 2004 when Florida was slammed with four hurricanes in six weeks, Florida’s Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in just over two weeks, causing catastrophic damage on parts of the coast and stressing resources across the entire state.
It is in times like these that I am especially thankful that FDSA can support our deputies and sheriff’s office employees through direct and immediate assistance and through programs such as the Lend a Hand Fund, developed to help law enforcement personnel in their greatest time of need. Special thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis for allocating $100,000 from Florida’s Disaster Fund to the Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association to support first responders. We greatly appreciate the governor’s continued support of our efforts.
Another way we serve our state is by having trained K-9s available to help in a variety of specific tasks. In partnership with American Kennel Club Vice-Chair Dominic Carlotta, FDSA is excited to announce a new collaboration with the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) grant program to make K-9s accessible to more agencies. Through this grant, funds will be awarded to sheriffs’ offices to acquire and train K-9s to protect our communities.
Throughout the year, FSDA is also proud to serve our deputy sheriffs through training opportunities designed to help them excel in their careers, including an Artificial Intelligence Work Group Presentation and Roundtable Discussion in November and Valor Officer Resilience training in December. To learn more and sign up for upcoming events, visit fldeputysheriffs.org. Thank you for all you do.
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