[FLARES] "Hurricane Tour 2004" Search & Rescue Drill

[Ron Wetjen]

Sarasota County ARES/RACES members participated in Sarasota County's Tactical Search & Rescue Drill, on Tuesday, June 7th.

Amateurs played a key role in providing communications from the "Task Forces" to the "Command Post", using repeaters while en route to the drill site, and simplex on scene.  800 simplex and FRS radios allowed Task Force members to communicate with each other.

The Task Forces staged at 6 locations in Sarasota County - 3 in Sarasota, 2 in the Venice area, and one in North Port.  Once the "deploy" order was given, teams set out to the drill site at the Sarasota County landfill, east of I-75 in Venice.

As the teams arrived on the scene, they received a briefing, and set out to handle their tasks ... which included trees and power poles in the roadway, downed power lines, a collapsed structure with trapped people inside, walking wounded, and fatalities.  A Sheriff's Department helicopter was used to help search for additional victims.

As teams performed their tasks, they were observed and graded by Drill Evaluators.

Groups taking part in the drill, included:

Sarasota County Emergency Management
Sarasota County Fire Department
Sarasota County Sheriffs Office
Sarasota City Police Department
Venice Police Department
Venice Fire Department
North Port Police Department
North Port Fire Department
Sarasota County Public Works
City of Sarasota Public Works
Sarasota County Public Works
Sarasota County School Board
Florida Power & Light
Verizon
State Health Department
Sarasota County K9 Search & Rescue
Sarasota County ARES/RACES

Amateurs assisting included:

Bob Davisson, KA4BOB - TF#1
Ted Stringer, KI4HOK - TF#2
Mark Caragher, KE4KMD - TF#3
Roxena Doyle, W1ROX - TF#4
Jim Frey, W8ISZ - TF#5
Bob Stubbins, KI4FJT - TF#6
Mike Moses, KI7WH - (TF#6 Charlotte County RACES, observer)
Dennis Chapman, KI4DLD - Command Post
Deborah Brady, KC?SLH - Command Post
Charlie Larson, KD4FZ - Command Post
Ron Wetjen, WD4AHZ - Command Post
Eddie Palmer, K4JP - Transportation

You can watch the news stories from the two local stations covering the event:

SNN - http://scg.co.sarasota.fl.us/videos/20050607disaster6.asx
ABC7 - http://scg.co.sarasota.fl.us/videos/20050607disaster7.asx

Amateurs contributed 74 man hours to the event.

Thanks to all who assisted.

Ron, WD4AHZ
EC Sarasota County