ORLANDO — Governor Ron DeSantis launched a first-of-its-kind emergency management workforce pipeline and urged Floridians to finalize disaster plans as the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially opened.
The new initiative, the Coalition for Operational Readiness in Education — known as CORE — brings together the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Florida Department of Education, FloridaCommerce, higher education institutions and private-sector partners to recruit and train the next generation of emergency management professionals. DeSantis announced the program alongside FDEM Executive Director Kevin Guthrie, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue and Florida National Guard Major General John Hass.
“We have made historic investments in infrastructure hardening and emergency management,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Today in Orlando, at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, I was proud to announce another step to ensure that Florida remains the national model for disaster preparedness and recovery.”
The announcement came during the Third Annual Florida’s Training for Emergency Management Symposium, hosted by FDEM this week in Orlando, which drew emergency managers, state and local leaders, nonprofit organizations and private-sector partners from across Florida and beyond. CORE aims to connect education, workforce development and real-world operations, positioning the state as what organizers called “the worldwide epicenter of emergency management talent, training, and frontier technology.”
“Preparedness starts long before a storm forms,” said FDEM Executive Director Kevin Guthrie. “Through training, collaboration, and education, we are building stronger, more resilient communities and ensuring emergency management professionals are equipped to respond when disasters occur. Every exercise, workshop, and discussion strengthens our collective readiness for the season ahead.”
FDEM outlined Florida’s Five Steps to Hurricane Preparedness for residents: know your home and evacuation zone; make a family emergency plan; build a disaster supply kit with food, water and medications; keep vehicles fueled; and evacuate tens of miles, not hundreds, following local guidance. Business owners were urged to review continuity plans and safeguard critical records, while residents with medical or functional needs were directed to their county’s Special Needs Registry.
Full disaster supply kit checklists are available at FloridaDisaster.org/Kit, and additional hurricane preparedness information is posted at FloridaMakeaPlan.com. The symposium continues this week in Orlando.