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Florida exits another hurricane season without a hurricane, but that doesn’t mean Florida Emergency workers have had it easy. The year began with the Haiti Earthquake. The Florida Emergency Operation Center was key in transporting response crews and supplies to the small island country. Then in April the BP oil spill kept emergency workers busy though August. There were also 19 named storms to monitor this year. Department of Emergency Management Director Dave Halstead says the greatest challenge was by far the oil spill.

“It challenged the team more than a tropical storm would have. This was the worst environmental disaster in the world and this team, the Department of Environmental Protection, The Department of Health, under the leadership of the governor came together to support the local government,” said Halstead.

Halstead points to cooperation from local communities as the reason the state was effective in its response to the oil spill and the Haiti Earthquake.