Highlands County Emergency Management

What Highlands County Emergency Management does

Highlands County Emergency Management is a government department under the Public Safety division of the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners, a political subdivision of the State of Florida headquartered in Sebring. The department coordinates the full emergency management cycle — preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation — for approximately 65,893 county residents across the municipalities of Avon Park, Sebring, and Lake Placid and unincorporated areas. Core operations include hurricane and tornado preparedness, management of four shelter facilities (general population, special needs with backup power, and pet-friendly), debris removal coordination, emergency alert dissemination, and FEMA disaster assistance facilitation.

The technology stack centers on Esri's ArcGIS platform, which powers a public-facing Interactive Map, an Online Damage Portal for resident self-reporting, and a real-time Debris Collection Dashboard with color-coded completion status. Resident communication is delivered through the Alert Highlands SMS system (text HCMILTON to 888777), the official county website (highlandsfl.gov), social media accounts, and a telephone hotline. The department operates under a tax-funded public revenue model with no direct fees charged to residents; funding flows from county budgets, federal FEMA reimbursements, state emergency management allocations, and limited private foundation grants (notably repeat Duke Energy Foundation grants of $15,000 in 2021 and 2024).

Operational scale is small — 1–10 staff — but event-driven activity can be substantial. During Hurricane Milton in October 2024, the department sheltered 702 residents across four facilities, supported response to seven confirmed tornadoes, and cleared 127,820 cubic yards of debris within 50 days of the FEMA 100% reimbursement deadline. The department's reach is anchored in statutory authority under Florida emergency management law and a dense network of interlocal agreements with municipal, county, state, federal, and nonprofit partners including FEMA, FDOT, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DCF, the National Guard, and Waste Connections.

Name

Highlands County Emergency Management

Legal name

Highlands County Board of County Commissioners

Website

https://highlandsfl.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Highlands County Emergency Management is a Florida county government department coordinating disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation for approximately 65,893 residents across Highlands County's municipalities and unincorporated areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public-Sector Emergency Management Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Management & Disaster Response (EOC, Civil Defense) (BPAIAGAE), Emergency Management & National Resilience (Civil Protection) (BPAIAAAI)

Keywords

• Emergency management
• Disaster preparedness
• Public emergency shelters
• Emergency notification
• Damage assessment portal

Headquarters

HQ city

Sebring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Highlands County Emergency Management coordinates countywide all-hazards emergency management across the four phases of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. It operates public Special Needs and Pet Shelters, sandbag distribution sites, and Points of Distribution (PODs); runs the Alert Highlands emergency-notification system; administers the Citizen's Preparedness Academy and the Diverse Needs Program for vulnerable residents; and provides an Online Damage Portal for residents to report storm damage and apply for federal disaster assistance.

Product overview

Highlands County Emergency Management provides a comprehensive suite of emergency management services for Highlands County, Florida. The core offering centers on emergency preparedness, response, and recovery operations including real-time storm updates, shelter operations (general population, special needs, and pet-friendly), emergency orders dissemination, and citizen education through the Preparedness Academy. The department integrates with external platforms including ArcGIS for mapping, eTRAKiT for permitting, and alert systems for mass notifications. Services are delivered through the county website with no commercial product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Highlands County Emergency Management Services Countywide all-hazards emergency management program covering the four phases of emergency management — preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation — for Highlands County residents, property owners, and partner agencies.
• Public Emergency Shelters (Special Needs Shelter and Pet Shelter) Operating Special Needs Shelters for residents with medical, accessibility, or transportation needs and Pet Shelters for residents evacuating with household pets, opened during hurricanes and other emergencies in Highlands County.
• Sandbag Distribution Program Pre- and post-storm distribution of sandbags to Highlands County residents, operated through sites run by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office in preparation for and response to flooding events.
• Points of Distribution (PODs) Post-event Points of Distribution where Highlands County provides essential supplies (such as water, ice, and food) to residents following storms and other emergencies.
• Alert Highlands Emergency Notification System Mass-notification system enabling Highlands County Emergency Management to send emergency alerts, updates, and instructions to residents via phone, text, and email.
• Online Damage Portal Online portal built on ArcGIS that allows Highlands County residents and property owners to report damage from storms and other events, with associated dashboards for debris collection monitoring.
• Citizen's Preparedness Academy Educational training program for Highlands County residents covering disaster preparedness topics such as hurricane readiness, severe weather response, and emergency planning.
• Diverse Needs Program Program that identifies and supports Highlands County residents with access or functional needs during emergencies, helping ensure they receive appropriate sheltering, transportation, and emergency notifications.
• Highlander Hurricane Recovery Guide and Highlander Recovery Center Recovery resources guiding Highlands County residents through post-storm cleanup, debris removal, and federal disaster-assistance application processes, including direct assistance via the Highlander Recovery Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• 127,820 cubic yards of storm debris collected and processed within FEMA deadlines, achieving 100% reimbursement eligibility 50 days early
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Medical Transportation Management (MTM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2024Provides complimentary transportation services to shelters for residents in Avon Park, Sebring, and Lake Placid areas before and after storm events. Residents schedule rides by calling designated numbers for each service area. Transportation ends after storms pass to arrange return trips.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates Operation Blue Roof program providing free temporary tarping for homes damaged by Hurricane Milton. Extended program through November 14, 2024. Mobile assistance locations provided at libraries to help residents sign up for the program.
• FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides disaster assistance including registration PODs, Disaster Recovery Centers, Disaster Survivor Assistance crews going door-to-door, and federal reimbursement for debris removal and emergency expenditures. Application deadline for Hurricane Milton extended to January 7, 2025.
• Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompleted two-pass debris removal on state roads including SR 70, SR 64, SR 66, US 98, US 27, and SR 17 following Hurricane Milton. Highlands Heartland Operations coordinated road clearing on state-owned roadways.
• Department of Children and Families (DCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplemented D-SNAP (Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) for Highlands County residents impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Pre-registration November 11-15, 2024, with in-person interviews and EBT card distribution for food assistance.
• Florida Division of Emergency ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates state-level emergency response, resource deployment, and multi-agency coordination during disaster events. Works with county EOC to activate shelters, distribute supplies, and coordinate National Guard support.
• South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIssues reclaimed water letters required for development applications in Highlands County. No current reclaimed water treatment facilities exist in the county making such use infeasible.
• Highlands County Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates law enforcement during emergencies including curfew enforcement, road closure security, and emergency operations center support. Lifted county-wide curfew following Hurricane Milton after significant power restoration progress.
• Municipal Partners (Avon Park, Sebring, Lake Placid)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpdated interlocal agreements enabled cities and Town to use their own personnel and equipment to assist contracted debris hauler. Partner municipalities closed government offices coordinated with county during Hurricane Milton recovery.
• National GuardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary support team deployed to deliver food and water to residents affected by tornadoes in Tropical Harbor and Venus areas following Hurricane Milton. Provided additional personnel for emergency operations.
• Waste ConnectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidential garbage and yard waste hauler for unincorporated Highlands County. Adjusted collection schedules following Hurricane Milton, collected unbundled debris during yard waste weeks, and coordinated with county debris contractor during recovery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hillsborough County Emergency Management: Tampa Bay area county emergency management department delivering the same comprehensive preparedness, response, and recovery services under Florida emergency management law with a similar county government organizational structure.
• Collier County Emergency Management: Southwest Florida county emergency management division executing parallel functions including hurricane response, special needs sheltering, debris monitoring, and National Guard coordination under the same Florida emergency management statutes.
• Polk County Emergency Management: Central Florida inland county emergency management division operating under identical state statutes with parallel shelter, debris removal, and FEMA reimbursement operations serving a comparable population size.
• Charlotte County Emergency Management: Adjacent Florida county emergency management department offering equivalent services—hurricane preparedness, shelter operations, debris removal coordination, and FEMA disaster assistance—within comparable demographic and geographic parameters.
• Lee County Emergency Management: Lee County (Fort Myers) Florida emergency management agency operating with a similar county-level mandate, hurricane response protocols, FEMA reimbursement model, and shelter operations serving a coastal Florida population exposed to similar storm risks.
• Sarasota County Emergency Management: Florida Gulf Coast county emergency management agency with comparable mandate for hurricane and natural disaster preparedness, response, and recovery including shelter operations and federal disaster declaration coordination.
• DeSoto County Emergency Management: Adjacent Heartland-region Florida county emergency management office offering equivalent hurricane preparedness, sheltering, debris removal, and federal disaster assistance coordination under the same regulatory framework.
• Hardee County Emergency Management: Small rural Florida county emergency management department in Highlands County's Heartland region, providing highly comparable services including hurricane response and FEMA coordination for a similar-sized population.

Broad incumbents

• FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency provides disaster declarations, reimbursement funding, Disaster Recovery Centers, and D-SNAP approvals that Highlands County relies on; the federal counterpart governing the reimbursement model underpinning county operations.
• Florida Division of Emergency Management: State-level emergency management agency that coordinates with, funds, and provides operational support to Highlands County and all Florida county emergency management offices; oversees state-level disaster response and resource deployment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Highlands-County-Board-of-County-Commissioners-109461364468983
• Xtwitter.com/HighlandsCoGov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highlands-county-bcc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highlands County Emergency Management