FEMA awards City of Port St. Lucie more than $1 million for emergency communication 

PORT ST. LUCIE – The City of Port St. Lucie will receive more than $1 million in federal grant money to install additional fiber optic cables to improve emergency communication systems between the City and St. Lucie County.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) has approved $1,437,935 for the installation of more than six miles of underground fiber optic cable between the City of Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County emergency operations centers. New cables also will connect the system to the City’s Police Department and the James E. Anderson Water Treatment Plant along with St. Lucie County’s Fire District Headquarters and Sheriff’s Office. This will improve emergency response via 911 at all times as well as during major storm events

“This important improvement would provide uninterrupted communication between public safety partners during emergencies,” said Kristina Ciuperger, Special Assistant to the City Manager/Chief Communications Officer for Port St. Lucie. “The City relies on its communication systems to manage emergency response meant to reduce loss of life and property. Above-ground communication systems pose risks to the population at large. The fiber installation would strengthen the City’s communication systems and agency coordination County-wide.”

Funding for this HMGP project is authorized under Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Act, the 1988 law that governs FEMA’s disaster-related activities. FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is an important source of federal disaster assistance. HMGP funds may become available following the president’s declaration of a major disaster, and help strengthen communities by improving buildings, facilities and infrastructure that people use every day. A 2018 report from the National Institute of Building Sciences found that one dollar spent on hazard mitigation will save more than six dollars of recovery and rebuilding costs.

HMGP grants are structured as reimbursement, cost-share grants, meaning 75 percent is federally funded and 25 percent is locally funded. In this project the total cost is $1,437,935 and the federal share is $1,078,451.25 and the City’s share is $359,483.75.

The City of Port St. Lucie is proud to be a hometown where people live, learn, work and play, and celebrate all of life’s opportunities. With over 195,000 residents, Port St. Lucie is Florida’s seventh largest city by population (South Florida’s 3rd largest city). The City occupies an area of 120 square miles in St. Lucie County on Florida’s east coast, about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach, half way between Miami and Orlando. The City provides most traditional municipal services including law enforcement, water and sewer, and public works. For more information, please visit: www.cityofpsl.com

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