County signs on to Florida’s FROC public‑assistance program to speed disaster recovery funding

Okaloosa County will participate in the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation (FROC) program intended to standardize and simplify the public assistance submission process to FDEM and FEMA. Public Safety Director Pat Maddox described FROC as a state‑managed, federally supported initiative that provides standardized forms, risk evaluation and a scoring mechanism that can enable more timely advanced payments for participating counties following declared disasters. Maddox said the program is not mandatory, includes training for staff, and does not require county funding to enroll.

Staff noted the program’s potential to reduce time and audit burden when submitting public assistance projects and that it can complement other verification programs used in recovery. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the public assistance scope (roads, infrastructure repairs, etc.) and noted the program could materially speed reimbursements after events such as hurricanes. The board voted unanimously to participate and authorized staff engagement with the program.