Town staff navigate disaster drill

Groups of looters struck north-end homes and Whitney Beach, the Longboat Key Police Department flooded and power lines went down after an imaginary hurricane struck Lido Key this week.

The fake category one storm was the focus of a county-wide hurricane drill throughout the week at Sarasota County’s new emergency operations center. Town of Longboat Key department heads were tucked in a room just outside the main command center.

Longboat Key Deputy Fire Chief Sandy Drake relayed “injects,” which are real-time scenarios disaster planners dreamed up, to Assistant Town Manager Michael Hein. Then staff would craft responses to the disaster.

For example, because Police Chief Pete Cumming didn’t have resources to quell the island looting, he managed to secure four patrol cars from the Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach police departments. 

And Public Works Director Juan Florensa reached out to Mote Marine Laboratory biologists in response to finding exposed turtle nests on the devastated beach. 

“Do it,” said Town Manager Dave Bullock after the inject about the nests crawled across a flat-screen television at the front of the room.

Sarasota County Emergency Services Director Rich Collins said the drill helps municipality and county staff coordinate disaster strategies before hurricane season begins June 1.

“This is the test bench,” Collins said.