Statewide Hurricane Exercise Tests Palm Bay Resources
By Space Coast Daily // May 23, 2012
Essential Preparation
BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Police and city of Palm Bay staff participated in a statewide hurricane exercise held today in preparation for the upcoming hurricane season that begins next week.
The exercise was designed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the State Emergency Response Team and was meant to test Florida’s emergency plans and procedures for a potential hurricane making landfall in the state.
State, federal, local and private-sector partners in Brevard County responded to the county’s Emergency Operations Center in Rockledge to simulate emergency response efforts in an evolving hurricane scenario.
“We are the largest municipality in Brevard County and it’s absolutely critical for us to participate in these types of exercises; not only to test our response plans but to reinforce our points of contact, our resources, logistics and how we will respond to a hurricane both before, during and after impact,” said Palm Bay Police Captain Mark Renkens.
“How we train and prepare is how we will respond. We as a city are ready and we encourage our residents to prepare and go over their hurricane and disaster plans.”
Fictitious Landfall of Hurricane Rowan
The 2012 Statewide Hurricane Exercise centered on the fictitious landfall of Hurricane Rowan, a category 3 storm that strikes the Space Coast.
Transportation, tourism, shelter operations, police and fire, public works, utilities, military, coast guard and other venues practiced response to multiple challenges impacting the area during the daylong exercise.
The 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1.
Local residents and business owners should be prepared to follow the instructions of local officials if a hurricane threatens the community by knowing the nearest shelter, making an evacuation plan and having a disaster plan in place.
