Florida’s Chief Financial Officer urges residents to prepare and be safe

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is urging residents to make final preparations ahead of the storm.

According to his agency, Florida’s Urban Search and Rescue teams stand ready to help recovery efforts, and the Division of Investigative Services detectives will help guard against consumer fraud and will be deployed as needed for search and rescue.

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Statement from CFO Jimmy Patronis:

“As we just saw with Hurricane Ian, storms can intensify and change direction quickly. Now is the time to finish final storm preparations ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole. DO NOT take this storm lightly. Residents must heed all watches and take this storm seriously. We have all eight US&R teams that are standing ready to assist with recovery efforts. My office will continue to coordinate with the Florida Division of Emergency Management as the storm progresses.”

“If you own an EV, please be sure to move your car to high ground. As a result of Ian, we have seen multiple EV fires that were caused by saltwater storm surge. Let’s not let this happen again and take the necessary steps now to prevent a fire from happening in the future.  Additionally, after the storm passes, beware of the signs of post-storm fraud and call my Insurance Consumer Helpline immediately at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) for insurance claims assistance. Stay safe, Florida.”

Storm Preparation Tips for Floridians:

• Make sure to stock up on food and water and take only what you need.
• Never run a generator inside or too close to your home or garage.
• Use sandbags and plastic sheeting to ward off rising water.
• Take photos of items in your home to help make the recovery process easier.
• Gather all insurance, financial and other important documents and secure them in plastic bags.
• Secure outdoor objects, such as grills and lawn furniture, so that it cannot get displaced by high winds.

Floridians can call the agency’s helpline at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or contact the office via email at Consumer.Services@myfloridacfo.com.

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