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Florida's Best Practices:
City and Member County Responses S - W
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City of Safety Harbor
Mayor Pam Corbino
Safety Harbor Emergency Management Response
In the wake of September 11, 2001, the City of Safety Harbor is making every effort to ensure that emergency management and preparedness remains a priority. Since the tragic events, city officials have modified the crisis management plan to match the color-coded national alert system. Furthermore, officials have taken steps to ensure the continuous training of emergency personnel, increased funding for protective equipment, and specialized training for the area CERT teams.
The Safety Harbor Fire Department has received approval for the purchase of detection equipment and masks for use in chemical and biological incidents. In addition, the department has received protective suits from Pinellas County, which are carried on the first responder apparatus. City firefighters have also received FEMA’s Counter-Terrorism Training and performed hands-on decontamination drills.
Safety Harbor is working closely with Pinellas County and other area communities to develop a standardized emergency management plan for both response and recovery should an attack ever occur within the region.
Contact Person:
Jay Stout, Chief
Safety Harbor Fire Department
700 Main Street
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
Phone: (727) 724-1520
E-mail: jstout@cityofsafetyharbor.com
Sarasota County
Commission Chairperson Shannon Staub
Sarasota County Emergency Management Response
As a direct result of the 9/11 tragedy, Sarasota County expanded an intelligence collection team comprised of key first response and associated emergency staff. This team was functioning prior to the event for the purpose of collecting and sharing “hold close” official threat assessment information. The team continues to function in this manner, however, the reach of the team has been expanded, and the sharing platform improved in such a manner that immediate weapons of mass destruction (WMD) intelligence can be officially shared among key players within seconds of a recognized threat via exclusive telecommunications devices available at all times. This was accomplished through the utilization of existing equipment and capabilities being integrated into off-the-shelf infrastructure. Since this information is “Confidential and Exempt,” (FS 119.071), details will be made available only to appropriate agencies by contacting the author in Emergency Management.
A WMD Working Group was also created on September 12, 2001, comprised of both emergency responder managers, traditional emergency support agencies, emergency support functionaries, representatives from the cities within the county, School Board, hospitals, County Medical Society, Health Department, local airport and others. The WMD Working Group continues to meet one hour a week performing the functions of information sharing, planning, and training and response logistics. The WMD Group is co-chaired by the emergency management chief, hazardous materials team leader and Region Six law enforcement liaison. The WMD Working Group is unique to the business and has found significant value to those agencies that participate. Attendance is strong even 14 months after the events of September 2001.
The value of the WMD Working Group is that those in attendance are given a platform to network and to anticipate the current threat levels, which eliminates surprise information from causing inappropriate reactions from the non-emergency response community.
Contact Person:
Gregg Feagans, CEM
Sarasota County Emergency Services
Emergency Management Chief
1660 Ringling Boulevard
Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: (941) 861-5300
Fax: (941) 861-5501
E-mail: Gfeagan@co.sarasota.fl.us
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City of Springfield
Mayor Robert E. Walker
Springfield Emergency Management Response
The City of Springfield follows the guidelines and directions set forth by the emergency operations center during an emergency situation or natural disaster. The city has a mutual-aid agreement with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and would operate under the guidance and directions of Sheriff Guy Tunnell in the event of a terrorist attack or any matter concerning homeland security. Springfield emergency personnel have attended weapons of mass destruction (WMD) training and are diligently working towards attaining further education and training involving these crucial subjects.
Contact Person:
Sam Slay, Chief
Springfield Police Department
3529 E. 3rd Street
Springfield, FL 32401
Phone: (850) 872-7545
E-mail: sam_slay@yahoo.com
City of St. Cloud
Mayor Glenn Sangiovanni
St. Cloud Emergency Management Response
Since the events of September 11, 2001, the City of St. Cloud has implemented the following practices:
All sworn police officers were trained in domestic terrorism response as required by the State of Florida. The Police Department is also an active participant in the “Threat Net” Intelligence System.
Protocol has been established for the handling of incoming suspicious packages/letters at the public safety facility. Protective equipment has been issued to employees who process incoming mail.
The city Police and Fire departments have established internal protocols for handling HazMat incidents suspected of being part of a crime. The Police Department has completed statewide security assessment of the public safety facility.
Local assessments of potential targets have been completed with a “low” risk assessment.
Informal procedures for increased building security and employee standby have been instituted for orange- or red-level warnings of the Homeland Security Advisory System.
Contact Person:
Tom Hurt
2901 17th Street
St. Cloud, FL 34769
Phone: (407) 957-7236
E-mail: thurt@stcloud.org
City of Sweetwater
Mayor Manuel Marono
Sweetwater Emergency Management Response
The City of Sweetwater has developed a multi-agency proactive tactical team that will address the needs sent forth by President Bush: “Protect our nation and its citizens from serious, immediate and ongoing threats; putting the prevention of terrorists attacks at the center of our law enforcement mission.”
The proactive tactical team is a unique concept. There is no other working proactive tactical team readily available that works continuously at the prevention of terrorist attacks and the apprehension of individuals. South Florida has had numerous known terrorists infiltrate the region, so this is extremely beneficial and necessary.
This proactive tactical team will work in conjunction with federal and state agencies, as well as the newly founded Department of Homeland Defense to weave a seamless web of prevention. As was stated by the attorney general in a news conference on the National Security Coordination Council, “Among the most important lessons we have learned is that countering a threat as vast and as complex as international terrorism requires unprecedented cooperation and coordination. No single individual, agency, department or government can succeed alone. We have instead sought to weave a seamless web of prevention.”
A multi-agency tactical team derived from experienced SWAT personnel to take an active roll at apprehending and/or deterring terrorist plots or activities in Miami-Dade County was created. This 60-member team would consist of 4- and 15-member squads providing 24-hour coverage, seven days a week.
Certified and active SWAT members would be recruited from numerous law enforcement agencies in Miami-Dade County as well as members from state and federal agencies. The equal dispersing of funds obtained through forfeiture assets seized would only enhance the honor of participating in such a prestigious pilot program. This proactive tactical team will be a role model for agencies across the nation to reproduce.
Contact Person:
City of Sweetwater Police Department
500 S.W. 109th Avenue
Sweetwater, FL 33174
Phone: (305) 552-9900
Fax: (305) 552-8053
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City of Tarpon Springs
Mayor Frank DiDonato
Tarpon Springs Emergency Management Response
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the City of Tarpon Springs responded by training all Tarpon Springs Police Department officers and communications personnel in weapons of mass destruction (WMD) first responder issues with a curriculum created by the FBI, FEMA, Department of Health, and Department of Defense (DOD). The training was completed by November 1, 2001. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was purchased and issued. This included personal protective suits, chemical and biological agent protective gloves, boots, particulate filter masks, gas masks, filters and tape. This equipment meshed with the Tarpon Springs Police Department’s Mobile Field Force equipment (weapons, clothing, ballistic helmets, goggles and carrier). The Tarpon Springs Police Department coordinated the purchases with the Tarpon Springs Fire Department and purchased PPE for essential city staff. Joint exercises have been held with HazMat units, police and fire. Training has been ongoing with state, federal and local agencies.
The Tarpon Springs Fire Department has also taken steps to protect its personnel and the citizens from WMD. All fire and EMS personnel have been trained to the “Awareness” and “Operations” Level in WMD using curriculum developed from the DOD. Advanced terrorism training has been conducted with the Pinellas County Hazardous Materials Response Team. Fire and EMS members have been outfitted with HazMat suits, which utilize self-contained breathing apparatus or forced purified air system respirators (for NBC agents), and have equipment for conducting decontamination.
Fire and EMS personnel have the ability to analyze air quality, utilize field gas chromatography equipment, and detect alpha, beta, gamma or x-ray radiation. Fire and EMS personnel have a portable weather station for analyzing wind speed, direction, etc., and various software programs designed to project plume hazard/evacuation areas. Each fire/EMS worker has a nerve agent antidote kit (NAAK) with them at all times. All tools needed to respond to a WMD incident are located on a quick response vehicle to deliver needed equipment to the scene of an incident as rapidly as possible. WMD reference guides are located on each Fire Department vehicle.
Contact Person:
Kevin Bowman, Chief
Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue
444 Huey Avenue S.
Tarpon Springs, FL 34896
Phone: (727) 938-3737
E-mail: kbowman@ci.tarpon-springs.fl.us
City of Temple Terrace
Mayor Fran Barford
Temple Terrace Emergency Management Response
Immediately following the events of September 11, 2001, the City of Temple Terrace took numerous reactive measures to protect its citizens. Several physical changes were made to city facilities including: closing or restricting access to multiple entrances to city facilities, moving parking from the buildings, and installing blockades and barriers to prevent vehicles driving through buildings. Also, mail-handling procedures were changed so that one specific employee sorted all mail in one area. This employee was given training on mail handling and what to do with suspicious mail if found. City employees, such as service desk operators, field workers, police officers, firefighters, and recreation facility employees, were trained on the importance of reporting suspicious persons or activity.
In addition, city officials took several proactive measures at the same time that identified future training, personnel and equipment needs to meet future threats. These needs were developed at countywide meetings and within the city. The city is also an active participant in the regional Joint Terrorism Task Force and participated in the Hillsborough County Homeland Security Task Force. This task force was instrumental in determining city needs in the private and public sectors, including hospitals, financial institutions, schools, port authority and many others. Temple Terrace was able to identify its greatest need as the ability to communicate through radio or any other real-time communications system.
The city started teaching community awareness at all Crime Watch meetings, fire prevention meetings, and at other public demonstrations and meetings. A link to the homeland security Web page was added to the city’s home page showing the current threat level. The Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and report writing system were enhanced to gather and analyze intelligence needed to be more proactive and allow information sharing between jurisdictions. A Microsoft Access networked system was used to assist in information sharing.
Temple Terrace received a federal grant from the Department of Justice to put mobile computer terminals in the field with police and fire personnel to speed up and enhance information gathering and sharing. And although well automated, a need was identified for additional intelligence personnel to analyze and share the information. The city updated and added mutual-aid agreements for police and fire.
But, the greatest accomplishment was the development and implementation of a confidential annex to the community emergency management plan for each threat level.
Contact Person:
A. L. Tony Velong, Chief
Temple Terrace Police Department
11250 N. 56th Street
Temple Terrace, FL 33617
Phone: (813) 989-7117
E-mail: tvelong@templeterrace.com
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City of West Miami
Mayor Velia Yedra-Chruszcz
West Miami Emergency Management Response
The City of West Miami is modifying its emergency management plans and hosting education programs for residents. Additionally, since the terrorist attacks, the city’s Police Department has upgraded its equipment and increased training for first responders and applies for available domestic security grants.
Contact Person:
Patrick O. Kiel, Chief
West Miami Police Department
901 S.W. 62 Avenue
Miami, FL 33144
Phone: (305) 266-0530
Fax: (305) 266-0970
E-mail: mrpnut@bellsouth.net
City of West Palm Beach
Mayor Joel T. Daves
West Palm Beach Emergency Management Response
Following the events of September 11, 2001, the City of West Palm Beach took several immediate steps to ensure the safety of the citizens, visitors and employees of the city. The initial focus was to ensure the security of critical facilities and infrastructure through the internal risk assessments. Simultaneously, the Police Department, Fire Rescue Department and Emergency Management Division took measures to educate all employees of the city, including emergency response personnel, on the provisions and policies established by the community emergency management plan for West Palm Beach.
In late September and early October of 2001, the city’s Fire Rescue and Police departments put in place a 2-person response unit, consisting of one HazMat Technician and one bomb technician, to screen all calls regarding suspect powders, chemicals, etc. The response unit was equipped with specialized equipment that enabled them to respond to all valid calls, thereby allowing the city to keep the first response units in service to handle the normal daily activity while utilizing the technicians’ expertise to address anthrax and biological agent issues.
In January 2002, the mayor appointed a working group to address the issues of “Homeland Security” for the city. The task force currently meets monthly and is tasked with overseeing the update of critical facilities and infrastructure and evaluating risk, hazard, and vulnerability assessments. The task force is also working to obtain grant funding from the multitude of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), homeland security and anti-terrorism programs that have been legislated at the state and federal level.
A massive training initiative has been launched to include an incident command system (ICS) for police and city staff and WMD training for public works personnel and administrative staff members. In addition, HazMat technicians from the city’s Fire Department are currently being sent to military chemical weapons schools to enhance our first responders’ understanding of chemical weapons and military-type WMDs.
Finally, a citywide campaign to enlist the aid of citizens through community emergency response teams (CERT) training, Citizens On Patrol (COP) training, and other citizen volunteer activities has been funded through grants already obtained by the Fire, Police, and Emergency Management departments.
Contact Person:
Ray Carter, Chief
West Palm Beach Fire Rescue Department
600 Banyan Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 835-2901
E-mail: rcarter@ci.west-palm-beach.fl.us
City of Wilton Manors
Mayor Jim Stork
Wilton Manors Emergency Management Response
Working in conjunction with Wilton Manors Emergency Management, the Police Department has continuously assessed the city’s emergency responder and equipment needs along with the ability to safely and expeditiously respond to a catastrophic event such as a hurricane (forecast models indicate that these systems will be more intense and frequent), tropical storm, flood or large fire.
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, the City of Wilton Manors saw the need to have available and supply police officers with a additional basic level of equipment and training that would allow them to perform essential functions in a hazardous environment involving the threat or release of a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) biological or chemical agent. This basic level of equipment would include personal protective equipment (PPE) such as air purifying respirators and protective body suits.
Recognizing the fact that in a WMD incident other local, state or federal assistance may be delayed or unavailable, the ability to operate self-sufficiently and effectively in addressing the needs of our first responders and general public for an extended period of time is a critical component in the city’s hometown security initiative. This includes the availability of equipment traditionally carried and used by other public safety disciplines such as EMS, fire and public health.
By the end of 2002, the City of Wilton Manors will have purchased and deployed several new sport utility vehicles (SUVs). The additional space found in an SUV will allow the Police Department to store and have available for immediate distribution PPEs. When planning to deal with a forecasted critical incident such as a hurricane or tropical storm, the SUVs will be designated as primary zones or patrol units and operated by a first responder answering calls for service within the designated sector.
Should a critical incident involving a WMD or terrorist threat occur, the SUVs again would be mobilized and deployed within the city or another if a mutual-aid request for resources was received. City officials feel that this new advanced equipment and vehicle program will ensure that Wilton Manors operates at a high level of preparedness when responding to a WMD or critical incident that city residents expect.
Contact Person:
Rick Wierzbicki, Chief
Wilton Manors Police Department
524 N.E. 21 Court
Wilton Manors, FL 33305
Phone: (954) 390-2155
E-mail: sierra90@bellsouth.net
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Alphabetical Listing of City and Member County Responses
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