Patricia Day, FPEM-HC
Patricia Day, FPEM-HC, is a seasoned Public Health Emergency Preparedness Planning Specialist with over 15 years of experience in emergency management and healthcare disaster planning. She currently serves with the Florida Department of Health, where she supports ESF-8 emergency preparedness initiatives by developing strategic response plans for floods, hurricanes, mass casualty incidents, and other large-scale emergencies. Her work focuses on strengthening statewide healthcare resilience through tactical and strategic coordination with local county governments, healthcare systems, and state emergency management partners to ensure continuity of care and efficient resource deployment during disasters.
Patricia’s career in emergency management began through volunteer service with a County Emergency Management Office during a personally challenging period in her life. Supported and encouraged by mentors who helped her view emergency planning through innovative perspectives, she quickly developed a passion for the field. With more than a decade and a half of experience, she specializes in planning for vulnerable and special needs populations, ensuring that critical resources and support services are accessible to those who need them most during emergencies. She is highly involved in developing and evaluating plans for alternative care sites, refining emergency mutual aid compacts, and conducting field evaluations during hospital and emergency preparedness exercises.
Recognized for her specialized expertise, Patricia is distinguished as one of a limited number of female emergency management professionals in Florida certified in healthcare-focused emergency management. In her daily work, she monitors national emergency trends, applies best practices from across the country, and helps translate complex emergency data into actionable response strategies. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Patricia enjoys spending time at the beach, reading in libraries, and shopping at thrift stores, reflecting a balanced lifestyle that supports both personal wellness and professional dedication to public service and community protection.
• Community Disaster Preparedness for Healthcare Certificate Program
• NIMS ICS All Hazards Operations Section Chief L - 958
• NIMS ICS All Hazards StrikeTeam/Task Force Leader L -984
• NIMS ICS All-Hazards Logistics Section Chief - L-967
• NIMS All-Hazards Liaison Officer L-956
• NIMS All-Hazards Safety Officer L-954
• NIMS All-Hazards Planning Section Chief L-962
• Florida Professional Emergency Manager - Health Care (FPEM-HC)
• Cat. A & B Infectious Substances and Dry Ice Shipments
• Enhanced ALICE Instructor Certification
• Mental Health First Aid - USA
• San Bernardino Valley College - AS, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
• All Hazards Incident Management Team - Public Health Committee
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
• All-Hazards Incident Management Teams Association, Inc.
• NACCHO
• Florida Emergency Preparedness Association
• HealthCare Emergency Response Coalition of Palm Beach County
• Big Bend Community Organizations Active in Disaster Executive Committee
• Florida Emergency Information Hot-line
• American Red Cross Mass Care
• Board of Directors for Children's Home Society North Central Division
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the tremendous support system I had during challenging times in my life. When I was going through some personal challenges and didn't know where to go, I started volunteering with the County Emergency Management Office. People there believed in me and encouraged me to review emergency plans with fresh eyes, and that's when I discovered my passion. They told me I could learn everything I wanted, go to classes, and then put it into practice. Through being deployed so often and having the opportunity to take courses from FEMA, the Center for Domestic Preparedness, and other organizations, I've been able to hone my skills through both theory and practice. My ability to develop and execute healthcare emergency plans comes from this combination of continuous learning, hands-on experience, and the support of people who saw my potential even when I was struggling to find my path.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was from the county emergency manager I volunteered with when I was starting out. He told me, 'You can learn everything you want. You can go to the classes and learn as much as you like, but then put it in theory.' That advice shaped my entire approach to emergency management. It taught me that it's not enough to just write plans on paper or take courses - you have to actually test yourself, go out and evaluate exercises, and see how things work in real situations. Everything might look great on paper, but until you put it into practice, see it work, and know it's working, you can't truly improve it. That philosophy of combining learning with practical application has been the foundation of my 15-year career.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, the biggest challenge and opportunity in my field is public health outreach. After COVID, it's not looking good - it sounds like we're just throwing up our hands and throwing in the towel, but we're not. There are still people like me behind the scenes doing the work, going to talk to Girl Scouts, talking to church members, getting invitations out so people know that help is available, but also that they can prepare themselves. I think the real opportunity is in community education and preparedness. A ten-year-old granddaughter can talk to her class about being prepared in any emergency, because emergencies happen fast. My focus now, in addition to writing the higher-level plans and coordinating with power companies, hospitals, and doing exercises, is the outreach portion. If we don't reach people with the little things - like keeping a written copy of family phone numbers or having a small generator - we can't truly protect our communities. The challenge is getting that message out when public health infrastructure is struggling, but the opportunity is empowering individuals to be prepared so they don't need all the services we provide.