Episode #221: Zerry Ihekwaba & Jaime Hernandez – Raising the Bar on Emergency Preparedness in Homestead

Zerry Ihekwaba, City Manager of Homestead, and Jaime Hernandez, Emergency Manager, join host Steve Vancore to share how Homestead dramatically improved its Florida FROC scores, which measure readiness in debris removal and emergency protective measures, climbing from the high 30s to 51 in both categories.They break down the city's debris management strategy, including pre-identified debris sites, zone-based vendor assignments, and detailed operational plans withmonitoring protocols. The conversation also covers the case for competitive procurement rather than piggybacking on other contracts, best practices for protecting infrastructure, practical evacuation guidance, and Homestead's plans for a new joint operations center to better serve Monroe County and surrounding municipalities.