Brevard County on Tuesday approved a lease agreement that could be used for a new site for the most frequently activated emergency operations center in Florida.

  • Brevard EOC director says agency needs bigger center
  • Commissioners OK leasing 5 acres from school district
  • Next step is getting funds for new facility

Commissioners sought to lease about five acres from the school district, paying $1 a year for the next 99 years. The land, off Huntington Lane, is adjacent to the current EOC.

Brevard County Emergency Management Director Kimberly Prosser said it became even more apparent during Hurricane Matthew they needed to replace the 50-year-old facility, when more than 200 people crowded into the EOC.

“It's challenging. You're already having a stressful situation, which is a hurricane, but at the time, you know we were expecting a category 4, you've got hundreds of people in the room, it's extremely crowded and then when you also lose air conditioning on top of that, it's very uncomfortable," Prosser said.

Prosser said there were also power outages, leaks and plumping issues during Matthew.

Prosser would like the new EOC to be four or five times larger.

The next step would be to acquire funding for the new facility.

“Once we have the land, that makes it easier for state and federal agencies who might have funding available to see that we do have the land available, and we are ready to move forward to obtain some funding,” Prosser said.

Gov. Rick Scott vetoed money for a new EOC during this year's legislative session, but he has since toured the facility. Prosser is hopeful funding will be approved next year.