Updated September 14, 2017 1:30pm

If there is an emergency at any time please call 911.

Utilities Bills
Utilities bills will not be assessed a late fee this month.  There will be no disconnects this billing cycle.   All Utilities provided by the City of Ocoee are operational at this time.

Trash & Storm Debris Collection
Regular trash and recycling pickup has resumed. Storm debris and yard waste will be picked up beginning on September 19, 2017. Please gather it at the curb. For detailed information read the latest News Release.

Latest news from Orange County
http://www.ocfl.net/irma

Orange County Government is encouraging residents to prepare for Hurricane Irma and continues to monitor and assess updates from the National Hurricane Center.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 8, 2017

Contact:
ESF 14/PIO PHONE: 407-254-8837
Email: Carrie.Proudfit@ocfl.net; (407) 836-5429
Email: Doreen.Overstreet@ocfl.net; (407) 836-5301

Orange County Shelters to Open Tomorrow
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs to Provide Update on Hurricane Irma

Orange County, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2017) – Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs will provide a briefing regarding Hurricane Irma and an overview on local preparedness and emergency management efforts, including planned response, shelter information and more.

WHAT: Hurricane Irma Media Briefing
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 8 at 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Orange County Administration Building – Commission Chambers

201 S. Rosalind Ave.

Orlando, FL 32801

WHO: Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs

Orange County Emergency Operations Center remains at a Level 2 “partial activation.” More than 100,000 sandbags have been distributed, approximately 5,500 per hour. There will be no sandbag distribution on Saturday, September 9.

Garbage, recycling, and yard waste will not be collected for residents of unincorporated Orange County on Monday, Sept. 11. Monday routes will be collected on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Collections will be made one day later for the remainder of the week. Customers whose regular collection day is scheduled for Monday should plan to place garbage, recycling, and yard waste at the curb when conditions are safe for collection on Tuesday. The Orange County Landfill and transfer stations will close at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, and will reopen when conditions are safe.

The First Library Budget Public Hearing Meeting scheduled for Monday, Sept. 11 and the Board of County Commissioners Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12 have both been cancelled.

Orange County Government will be closed Sunday, Sept. 10 at 12:01 a.m. and will reopen on Tuesday.   

Orange County will open shelters for the general population, including pet-friendly shelters beginning tomorrow morning, Saturday Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. A list of shelters is enclosed. Additional shelters will be announced, as needed. Orange County will also open PSN, “Persons with Special Needs” shelter. Individuals who have registered for a PSN shelter will be contacted with the location information of the shelter that they have been assigned, along with information on transportation assistance if needed.

When planning to stay in a shelter, individuals are asked to bring an emergency supply kit, a pillow and blanket, toiletries, important papers and medications, snacks, water, flashlight and other essential personal items. These items should last individuals for at least 72 hours.

For a list of what to bring with you when you evacuate and the latest information on Hurricane Irma’s impact to Orange County, please visit www.ocfl.net/irma.

Types of Shelters:

• Persons with Special Medical Needs: Are you housebound or require special medical assistance? Please call 311 (or 407-836-3111). Orange County has shelters for those who require special medical care. Call 311 for information or 407-836-9319 for registration forms and instructions. Individuals traveling to a PSN shelter are asked to prepare before arriving to the shelter. Learn what you’ll need to stay prepared here. Please note, Orange County does not publicly disclose the addresses of Persons with Special Needs shelters.
• General Shelters: All Orange County shelters follow the practices and procedures established by the American Red Cross (ARC); all shelter workers and volunteers are trained by the ARC. At Orange County’s general population shelters, individuals are asked to complete an informational registration form, but no identification is required. For individuals participating in a state registry, appropriate shelters are available; staff and volunteers can help direct individuals as necessary. Please note that shelters are alcohol, drug and weapon free zones.
• Pet-Friendly Shelters: Ensure pet vaccinations are current and consider microchipping pets if not already done so to ensure you can find pets in the event you are separated. Have a copy of your pet’s medical records, which should be included in your “Pet Disaster Kit.” Arrange for a safe place to stay that permits pets and research places that are pet-friendly. (Note – animals are not allowed in Red Cross Shelters, except for service animals, so you may want to stay with a friend or relative, or motel/hotel that is pet-friendly.) If possible, PLEASE do not leave pets behind during an evacuation or emergency. With pending serious weather, bring all house pets inside.

About Orange County Government: Orange County Government strives to serve its citizens and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, the nation’s second-largest convention center, and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members make up the Board of County Commissioners including the Mayor who is elected countywide. For more information please visit www.OCFL.net or go to Orange County on Facebook and Twitter.

Orange County – Hurricane Irma Update #5

Orange County Activates Level 2 Status Ahead of Hurricane Irma

Orange  County, Fla. – Orange County Emergency Operations Center remains at a  Level 2 “partial activation.”  Below is a current status of operations:

Declaration  of Emergency Issued: Today, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs issued a  local Declaration of Emergency as a proactive emergency management  protocol to position access to emergency resources that may be  necessary.

Shelters: Orange County will open shelters  beginning Saturday morning. Shelter locations will be announced as  confirmed. They will not be announced tonight. Residents are encouraged  to frequently check www.ocfl.net for the most recent information or call  311. Orange County will open Persons with Special Needs shelters,  pet-friendly and general shelter populations.

Status of  Hotels: Orange County Government continues to closely monitor the  availability of hotel rooms in the tri-county area of Central Florida.  Through the assistance of Visit Orlando, we have determined that the  available hotels are near capacity.  It is important to note that this  situation is very fluid and small amounts of individual rooms may  continue to open up due to group meetings being canceled or hotel  cancelation policies being more flexible or lifted if a hurricane  warning for Orlando is issued. The Visitor Information team is prepared  to respond and help evacuees with frequently requested information and  resources.  Visitors coming to the area can reach us at:

• Call 800-972-3304
• Online with live chat  at  VisitOrlando.com/Hurricane
• Also check Twitter and Facebook  –  @VisitOrlando – for updates

Sandbags:  As of 3 p.m. today, more than 66,000 sandbags had been distributed in  Orange County. Due to the extreme high demand at several Orange County  sandbag distribution locations, cars currently waiting to be served  might not reach the service point by 7 p.m. today. Beginning at 3:30  p.m., we began asking those who have not yet joined the line to return  in the morning. Our intention is to serve all residents by our closing  hour of 7 p.m. in an efficient manner for efficient traffic flow and  service. Distribution locations will reopen on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017.  For sandbag distribution locations, please visit www.ocfl.net/sandbags.  For information on Hurricane Irma, visit www.ocfl.net/Irma.  

Curfew: No curfews have been issued. 

Evacuations: No evacuations have been ordered in Orange County.

Garbage:  If Friday is a resident’s regularly scheduled day for garbage,  recycling and yard waste, and collection will occur tomorrow. Residents  who need to dispose of large items that will not fit in the roll cart  must schedule an appointment prior to placing the items at the curb.  Please secure any loose items.

Manufactured Homes: Orange  County Fire Rescue will begin going door-to-door tomorrow in various  Orange County manufactured home communities identified in the path of  Hurricane Irma to ensure residents are aware of the pending forecast and  encourage residents to consider alternative shelter for their safety.

Homeless:  Orange County is working with homeless providers to implement a  coordinated effort to ensure individuals that are homeless have access,  information and transportation to safe shelter.

Hurricane  Prep: Orange County Government continues to encourage residents to  prepare for Hurricane Irma and to monitor and assess updates from the  National Hurricane Center.

Water: Residents are reminded  that tap water is an excellent option and can be stored in containers  for drinking and cooking. Bath tubs are also great to hold larger  amounts of water for washing and flushing toilets. Information can be  found here: http://bit.ly/2xaGcTv

Communication Tools:  Orange County has several tools that are available to residents during a  tropical weather system. Download Orange County’s news and information  apps free on Apple and Android devices, to receive emergency management  communications and to stay informed before, during and after a storm,  www.ocfl.net/apps.

OCFL Alert is an emergency notification  and information smartphone app that  provides critical information  during times of emergency. Life-saving information      includes open  shelter locations, water and ice distribution centers, evacuation  routes, public service announcements and much more

OCFL  News provides you with breaking news about Orange County Government in  action. Stay informed of important information and emergency news  releases through push notifications.

OCFL 311 is a  smartphone app that allows users to photograph, pinpoint and report any  problem you may encounter before, during or after the storm. All of this  can be done directly from your smartphone to Orange County’s 311  Service Center.

OC ALERT is an alert system that allows  Orange County Government to contact you via email or cell phone text  message during an emergency affecting Orange County.

Register free-of-charge for OCAlert, http://ocalert.net.   

Orange County will also be providing updates through social media.  Please follow us:

• https://twitter.com/OrangeCoFL
• https://twitter.com/Mayor_Jacobs
• https://www.facebook.com/OrangeCountyFlorida
• https://www.facebook.com/OrangeCountyMayor
• https://www.instagram.com/ocfl/

Orange County – Hurricane Irma: Update #2

Orange County Opens Sandbag Distribution

Orange County, Fla. – On Sept. 6, 2017, Orange County will distribute sandbags from 3 -7 p.m. at specific Public Works facilities. Sandbag distribution will take place again on Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. while supplies last. Due to high demand, Orange County residents will need to present proof of residency. Residents may collect up to 10 sandbags per vehicle. For sandbag distribution locations, please visit www.ocfl.net/sandbags. For information on Hurricane Irma, visit www.ocfl.net/Irma.

Orange County Government is encouraging residents to prepare for Hurricane Irma and continues to monitor and assess updates from the National Hurricane Center. An announcement regarding Orange County sandbag distribution will be made tomorrow afternoon. Orange County currently has 45,000 pre-filled sandbags and expects to distribute more than 70,000 to residents.

Orange County Government remains open for business and advises residents to ready their hurricane preparedness supply kit. For storm preparedness information, please visit www.ocfl.net/storm.

Orange County has several tools that are available to residents during a tropical weather system. Download Orange County’s news and information apps free on Apple and Android devices, to receive emergency management communications and to stay informed before, during and after a storm, www.ocfl.net/apps.

• OCFL Alert is an emergency notification and information smartphone app that provides critical information during times of emergency. Life-saving information includes open shelter locations, water and ice distribution centers, evacuation routes, public service announcements and much more
• OCFL News provides you with breaking news about Orange County Government in action. Stay informed of important information and emergency news releases through push notifications.
• OCFL 311 is a smartphone app that allows users to photograph, pinpoint and report any problem you may encounter before, during or after the storm. All of this can be done directly from your smartphone to Orange County’s 311 Service Center.
• OC ALERT is an alert system that allows Orange County Government to contact you via email or cell phone text message during an emergency affecting Orange County. Register free-of-charge for OCAlert, http://ocalert.net.

Orange County will also be providing updates through social media. Please follow us:

• https://twitter.com/OrangeCoFL
• https://twitter.com/Mayor_Jacobs
• https://www.facebook.com/OrangeCountyFlorida
• https://www.facebook.com/OrangeCountyMayor/
• https://www.instagram.com/ocfl/

West Orange Hurricane Preparedness Toolkit

 With Hurricane Irma approaching the area, now is the time to take action. Current forecasts for West Orange County project winds that could approach or exceed hurricane levels (≥ 74 mph), along with heavy rain, the possibility of tornadoes and flooding. Please read below for safety tips pertaining to West Orange communities and the surrounding region, and keep informed by following local television and radio broadcasts from a safe shelter.

Local Links & Information

• News 6 Hurricane Center: forecasts, preparation tips, emergency contact numbers, shelter/evacuation info, helpful links (Twitter)
• Duke Energy: safety reminders, how to report outages, storm response plan 
• Orange County Guide to assist in emergency preparedness: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/tabid/3761/default.aspx#.Wa_9CMiGNPb
• Orange County Emergency Communications: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/EmergencySafety/EmergencyCommunications.aspx#.Wa_-_MiGNPY
• OC Disaster Preparedness: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/EmergencySafety/DisasterPreparedness.aspx#.Wa__GciGNPY
• OC Emergency Medical Service: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/EmergencySafety/EmergencyMedicalServices.aspx#.Wa__L8iGNPY
• OC Emergency Alerts & Mobile Apps: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/Home/NewslettersAlerts.aspx#.Wa__TMiGNPY
• OC News & Information: https://newsroom.ocfl.net/
• City of Winter Garden: http://www.cwgdn.com/index.php
• City of Ocoee: http://www.ocoee.org
• City of Orlando: http://www.cityoforlando.net/mayor/2017/09/get-prepared-for-hurricane-irma/
• Town of Windermere: http://www.town.windermere.fl.us/alertView.aspx?alertid=838
• Town of Oakland: http://oaklandfl.gov/AlertCenter.aspx

General Disaster Business Resources

• SBDC at UCF: http://floridasbdc.org/services/business-continuation/
• The Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center: http://flvbeoc.org/
• Florida Chamber of Commerce: http://www.flchamber.com/florida-hurricane-information/
• Ready.gov: http://www.ready.gov/business
• Florida Division of Emergency Management: http://www.floridadisaster.org/DEMbusiness.asp
• SBA Disaster Assistance: https://www.sba.gov/loans-grants/see-what-sba-offers/sba-loan-programs/disaster-loans
• Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program: http://www.floridadisasterloan.org/
• Institute for Home and Business Safety: https://disastersafety.org/ibhs-business-protection/ofb-ez-business-continuity/
• Preparemybusiness.org (SBA and Agility Recovery): http://www.preparemybusiness.org/
• Cybersecurity and disaster-related videos via Florida SBDC: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cyber+security+disaster+related+florida+sbdc
• Cybersecurity-related resources – FBI Field Offices: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices
• U.S. Secret Service Field Offices: https://www.secretservice.gov/contact/
• FBI CY-Watch (24-hours): Phone: 1-855-292-3937 Email: cywatch@ic.fbi.gov
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): https://www.ic3.gov
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/home.aspx
• Ponemon Institute http://www.ponemon.org/library
• U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team: www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips
• FBI Cyber Crime: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber
• Federal Trade Commission Data Security: https://www.ftc.gov/datasecurity
• FBI Infragard: https://www.infragard.org/
• PhishMe: https://phishme.com/resources/infographics/
• Small Business Big Threat (SBA and Michigan SBDC): https://smallbusinessbigthreat.com/

Disaster-Related Applications

 Below are some of the most popular apps for disaster preparedness and disaster recovery. 

• Red Cross: The Red Cross is the gold standard in terms of quantity and quality of disaster apps. Their apps include first aid apps, hurricane apps, shelter finder apps, and a very informative app for children teaching them disaster preparedness tips. http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/mobile-apps
• ICE Standard: This app helps first responders and emergency room personnel locate a person's updated medical information, emergency / medical contacts, medical insurance information, blood type, name, address and a photo verification of the individual. It backs up this information on your phone, so you can access it in your car or with family/friends. https://www.icestandardtech.com/techhelp/
• Bizaster: This free app, available in English and Spanish, was developed by the Florida SBDC to assist small businesses with preparing, responding and recovering from disasters and business interruptions. The application features risk assessments, customizable checklists, and assistance with business continuity planning in a user-friendly and accessible format. Click to download the app for iPhone or Android.
• FEMA: If you download this app, you can receive alerts from National Weather Service for five different locations, access maps of disaster resources and shelters, and utilize other features. The app also has Spanish language capability and allows you to access Federal disaster assistance from your smart phone. https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app
• Hurricane Tracker: This is a very comprehensive app focused on hurricane-related information. You can see live hurricane briefings, access NOAA weather radio, see detailed satellite loops and maps, and receive updates on your phone. Click the corresponding link to download the app for your iPhone or Android.
• Emergency Radio: The Emergency Radio app gives you live access to EMS, police, fire, NOAA weather and other frequencies. You can add favorites to quickly access those frequencies in an emergency. Click to download the app for iPhone or Android.

For more information on these and other disaster-related apps, please see the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Disaster Information Management Research Center website at: https://sis.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/disasterapps.html

Wind & Rain Tracker from Windy.com