Serving as the MDFR Media and Public Relations Director and also as the Public Information Officer (PIO) to the Miami-Dade Office of Emergency Management (OEM) since 2015, Erika Benitez is the official spokeswoman for both departments.

Benitez has been exceptionally dedicated to coordinating, overseeing and administering all aspects of the flow of information between the departments and all levels of local, state, federal government, and all social media platforms in order to assure that the public and all life safety partners are provided with timely and accurate information. Additionally, she responds to the scene of large scale and high-profile incidents and manages all media requests as well as press conferences, relaying life safety information effectively in several languages to audiences from different cultures and backgrounds.

Her remarkable career as well as her previous experience in private and government sector as a producer, reporter, anchor, and as a spokesperson for several high-profile events that have made world news have made her an invaluable asset to the department.

A mentor and a role model for career PIOs and PIOs in training, Benitez participates in statewide PIO seminars, teaching and sharing the many skills she possesses to other life safety department staff. She has deployed to several disaster areas, most recently to the Florida Keys during Hurricane Irma, North Carolina during Hurricane Florence and the Florida panhandle during Hurricane Michael. 

Erika Benitez is a graduate of the FEMA Master PIO program specialized for senior level management public information professionals for an expanded role in delivering public information and warning using a strategic whole community approach. She is currently one of a few communications professionals in the country and the first one in Miami-Dade County to hold this distinction.

Benitez has also earned a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication from Florida International University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Television Production and New Technology from Florida International University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Communications and Marketing from Northern Illinois University and a Degree in International Studies from L'Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, France.

The Florida Fire Chiefs' Association (FFCA) is Florida's leading management education organization for fire and emergency services professionals. Through proactive leadership, education and advocacy, the FFCA actively supports the advancement of the fire service, which is dedicated to the protection and preservation of life and property against fire and other emergencies. The association represents over 2,200 members across the state of Florida.

For more information, please contact MDFR’s Media and Public Relations Bureau at 305-814-8051.