Duval Times

The City of Jacksonville has adopted a new disaster cost recovery process in collaboration with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). The initiative, known as F-ROC, aims to simplify and standardize the Public Assistance process, thereby enhancing the city's ability to recover costs incurred during hurricanes and other emergencies.

City departments involved in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery participated in comprehensive training on the F-ROC system this week. This training is designed to enable faster and more accurate recovery of disaster-related expenses, reducing financial risks for residents. FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie and his team were present in Jacksonville to conduct the training sessions.

Mayor Donna Deegan expressed her appreciation for the new system: “Once again, Jacksonville is leading the country on emergency preparedness and response, just like we have done with Emergency Road Access Teams and many other initiatives. I want to thank Director Guthrie and his team for allowing Jacksonville to be the first city to adopt the new F-ROC system, which will bring back so much money back to our community.”

Andre Ayoub, Chief of the Division of Emergency Preparedness, highlighted the importance of collaboration: “Our partnership with FDEM continues to grow. This strong collaboration between our state and local agencies has been incredible, and it will lead to more positive outcomes for our city. By strengthening our resilience and commitment to rapid disaster recovery, we are building a more secure future for residents and businesses.”

The city plans to have all relevant employees trained in F-ROC by June 1, 2025. This timeline ensures readiness ahead of the peak Atlantic Hurricane Season that year.