HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A Category 1 Hurricane tracking north of Hillsborough County bringing heavy rain, storm surge and winds to the area was the scenario being played out Friday for an evacuation shelter drill.
“I’m acting as a veteran which is 45. My name is John Doe. I’m a male. I have three dogs, one cat,” said Tramaine Whittey.
For the first time, the Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management partnered with FEMA to run through the shelter operation plan as closely as possible to the day that shelters open for an incoming storm.
“Sheltering is a very high-stress environment. The clients are stressed, the staff is stressed. There's a lot of customer service, conflict resolution, as well as any type of back shop management processes that we want to get as tight as possible and strengthen,” said Katja Miller, Emergency Management Operations section chief.
The drill that was held at Hillsborough Community College in Plant City, was a hybrid shelter simulation. It included a special needs area and a room for pets. It’s the largest shelter exercise Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management has done.
Close to 200 staff members from the Florida Department of Health and county departments, like Children’s Services, Libraries, Pet Resources and Aging Services all participated.
“When the schools lockdown, they are in their rooms and the pets are in their space, and shelter staff will keep an eye on the pets at that point,” said Crissy Leto, program coordinator for Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center.
During Hurricane Ian, the county opened nearly 50 shelters serving 8,300 people. With hurricane season just a couple of months away, this hands-on training is critical for logistics to go smoothly during what can be a very stressful time.
“It’s not a good day for those that are coming here. They are very stressed. They may be scared. So we want to make sure that the service we’re providing to them is great and that we know how to manage this shelter and make it as comfortable as we can,” Miller said.
