Jurisdiction: Authority, Geography & Levels of Authority - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to Boas (2012), jurisdiction is the applied authority approved to an authorized body to administer integrity within a defined field of responsibility; for instance, sales tax jurisdictions. Also, jurisdiction can refer to a specific geographic zone enclosing a demarcated legal authority. In United States, areas of administration practiced include the local, state, and national levels, for instance, at the national level, a high court has the authority to apply federal law when an individual, an organization or even a state is guilty of an offense and at the local jurisdiction, the Michigan Tax Law which is applicable to all Chicagoans and enforced by the Chicago tax authorities and the Illinois House law which is applicable to all residents in the state of Illinois despite living in different towns and cities, enforced by the state administration. In most instances, jurisdiction draws its matter from universal law, conflict of regulations, legitimate law, and the legal authorities of both the executive and legislative arms of government to distribute resources equally to serve the needs of the people.

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Description of the State of Florida

The State of Florida is governed by the governor, senator and members of county assembly. Florida is a low-lying, southeastern coastal state in the US (Florida). Florida's geographical location lies on the peninsula protruding southeastward of the North American continent, splitting the waters of the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico and falling towards Cuba and the Caribbean Sea. The state has a population of 21,299,325 people, according to the 2018 US census estimate (Florida). The country has several natural resources include massive deposits of sand and limestone, beaches, grasslands, caves and sinkholes, artesian springs, lakes, and fertile soils consisting of sand, clay, peat, mulch and sandy loam (Florida).

Florida's Jurisdiction Emergency Plan

The state has an emergency plan that ensures all levels of the state jurisdiction can function under an integrated emergency authority to protect the welfares of Florida inhabitants and guests (Basic Plan, p.6). Since Florida's coastal location exposes it to several natural hazards such as flooding, tropical cyclones, freezing temperatures, drought and artificial risks such as technological hazards, mass communication failure and political instability in the surrounding Caribbean nations, the state implements a functional approach that outlines the forms of support provided by each of its eighteen Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) as governed by the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) (Basic Plan, p.7).

The plan outlines the demographic and geographical assumptions in place once a hazard occurs. The program assesses all the significant risks that have happened in the state, assuming that all disasters arise with or without warning, the state utilizes the local facilities and can seek federal government intervention. The impact of any hazard includes physical injuries, death, demolition of civic and individual possessions, disruption of social amenities and normal life activities, demolishing of houses, environmental pollution, and economic sabotage (Basic Plan, p.9). The SERT then initiates plans to save the people and property when there is a hazard supporting all the community and institutional efforts in curbing the situation. When the SERT policies and amenities don't fully solve the problem, the body seeks help from other states and the federal government. The SERT further identifies the damage to the population, geographic locations, and resources providing shelter, disaster recovery sites, and temporary housing. It holds public awareness campaigns and education to inform the people on preparedness concerning a disaster minimizing their exposure and vulnerability if an emergency occurs.

References

Basic Plan. The State of Florida 2020: Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. Florida Division of Emergency Management. 2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard. Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100

Boas, G. (2012). Public international law: contemporary principles and perspectives. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Florida. The Official Page for Sunshine State Government. Retrieved from http://www.myflorida.com/index.html