City of Bradenton Honored for Regional Resiliency Efforts at 2025 Future of the Region Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 19, 2025

BRADENTON, FL - The City of Bradenton was honored on May 16 at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council's 31st Annual Future of the Region Awards, part of the 5th Regional Resiliency Summit. The City received recognition in the Build Environment category for its Public Safety Operations Center (PSOC) —a state-of-the-art emergency management facility that has significantly enhanced Bradenton's preparedness and response capabilities.

The PSOC officially held its grand opening on September 6, 2024, just in time for the peak of the 2024 hurricane season. While Hurricane Debby impacted Bradenton in August before the facility was operational, the PSOC was fully activated for the first time during Hurricane Helene in late September. It went on to play a critical role in the City's response to both Helene and Milton, marking the beginning of a historic stretch of back-to-back storms that tested the regions preparedness and underscored the facility's ability to serve as a centralized, resilient hub for emergency coordination, resource staging, and regional support.

The award highlights Bradenton's ongoing commitment to regional resiliency and emergency preparedness, especially following the challenges of the 2024 hurricane season, when the city response to three consecutive storms.

Mayor Gene Brown, Councilwoman Lisa Gonzalez Moore, Vice Mayor Josh Cramer, and City Administrator Rob Perry accepted the award on behalf of the City.

"This recognition reflects the hard work and foresight of our entire team," said Mayor Gene Brown. "The Public Safety Operations Center is a major step forward in protecting Bradenton and supporting our regional neighbors during emergencies."

 

The PSOC was created as part of Bradenton's On-Demand Municipal Integrated Emergency Management program. It transformed a 13,000-square-foot, hurricane-rated former Red Cross facility into a fully modern Emergency Operations Center. Strategically located on 59th Street West, the highest point in the city, the PSOC supports citywide and regional emergency management coordination, and served as a Forward Operations Base during the 2024 storms.

 

The facility features:

  • Starlink satellite communications
  • Real-time weather, GIS, and water monitoring tools
  • Citywide camera integration for live incident tracking
  • Lodging and provisioning for up to 150 emergency personnel

 

During the 2024 storm season, the City's Emergency Management team activated it's cross-trained, NIMS aligned response structure to:

  • Conduct water rescues in Manatee and Sarasota counties
  • Coordinate with state and regional Incident Management Teams
  • Establish a fuel site and comfort stations for impacted residents
  • Support local business recovery with the SBA and Chamber of Commerce

 

The City extends its thanks to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council for the recognition and for fostering important conversations on regional resilience through the Future of the Region Awards and Resiliency Summit.

 

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