DEP Law Enforcement and State Parks Join Local Agencies for Emergency Preparedness Training

MARIANNA- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Division of Law Enforcement and Florida State Parks today hosted a day-long training at Florida Caverns State Park for local public safety agencies and emergency responders. The event demonstrated appropriate techniques for medical and law enforcement responders in the event of an emergency in the park’s underground caverns.

“By working together with local emergency responders, we’re increasing our knowledge, efficiency and expertise, and ensuring park visitors that their safety is our top priority,” said DEP Division of Law Enforcement Director Henry Barnet. “This event provides our law enforcement agents and local emergency responders with the education and rigorous training necessary to overcome an emergency situation quickly and seamlessly.”

During the training, volunteers enacted various emergency scenarios in the underground caverns. One mock scenario involved a park visitor suffering from a medical condition while in the cavern and response teams practiced the appropriate steps for rescue and communication. The main objective of the training was to reinforce the protocol for law enforcement and emergency responders in the event of an actual emergency in the main cavern. Local participants in the training included the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Fire Rescue, Marianna Fire Rescue and Air Heart.

“Visitor safety is of the utmost importance in Florida’s state parks,” said Director of Florida State Parks Mike Bullock. “By hosting training events that prepare DEP’s park patrol officers and local emergency responders for potential emergency situations, the safety of Florida’s park visitors remains a top priority for all agencies.”

The first two-time Gold Medal winner honoring the nation’s best state park service, Florida’s state park system is one of the largest in the country with 160 parks spanning almost 700,000 acres and 100 miles of sandy white beach. From swimming and diving in Florida’s rivers and springs to birding and fishing or hiking and riding on natural scenic trails, Florida’s state parks offer year-around outdoor activities for all ages. Battle re-enactments and Native American festivals celebrate Florida’s unique history, while art shows, museums and lighthouses offer a window into Florida’s cultural heritage. Florida’s state parks are also home to the 2008 Best Beach in the nation, Caladesi Island State Park, located off the coast of Southwest Florida in Pinellas County.

DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement is responsible for statewide environmental resource law enforcement, providing law enforcement services to Florida’s state parks and greenways and trails. Agents investigate environmental resource crimes and illegal dredge and fill activities, and respond to natural disasters, civil unrest, hazardous material incidents and oil spills that threaten the environment.

For more information about DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/law. For more information about Florida’s state parks, visit www.floridastateparks.org.