Lee County Emergency Management

Local and state officials reviewed their experiences and lessons learned recently. Here are some of the takeaway notions from Karen Moore, publisher of Southwest Florida Business Today.

A public groundbreaking will be Nov. 2 for an expansion project at the Lee County Emergency Operations Center on Ortiz Avenue.The project entails a two-story addition to the existing Emergency Operations Center, which will be renamed the Lee County Public Safety Center when it’s completed.The event at 2675 Ortiz Ave., Fort Myers, will include comments from county commissioners and other officials. The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award the contract for the 36,873 square-foot expansion in September.

In 2010 the Southwest Florida county changed from a ‘Just in Case’ to a ‘Just in Time’ protocol for emergency management to avoid “over-evacuation.” The protocol was followed -- with potentially deadly consequences.

Hurricane season officially began June 1, and the Lee County Emergency Management Department hosted an event on Monday to share resources and preparation…