From utilizing new technology to strengthening state and local coordination, Florida leaders are looking at the future of hurricane response and working to streamline it. Coming off one of the costliest hurricane seasons in history, even as the state has become a leader in its emergency response, improving it remains a priority. “Despite the many challenges that we faced and with storm impact spanning across much of the state, we were able to respond to multiple strong hurricanes in a short amount of time,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Director Kevin Guthrie, reflecting on the massive response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Guthrie was at the Capitol Tuesday, highlighting the massive response effort that included physical rescues, aid delivery and rebuilding infrastructure. “We partner with every state agency and work closely with the state legislature to ensure that Floridians are prepared and able to recover from any disaster that may impact their community,” Guthrie added. “Here we can reflect on the past year, successes and challenges working together to better serve Floridians and ensure Florida continues to lead through,” Guthrie added, who’s looking for legislative backing to help streamline their efforts and to bolster local coordination. Some of the requests are in Governor Ron DeSantis' budget proposal, which includes $1.2 billion in federal and state funding to respond to, recover from and mitigate disasters or emergencies. Guthrie says they plan on acquiring and utilizing more of the quick-deploy flood barriers, including Tiger Dams and AquaFences.