Hurricane/Emergency Management

Mission Statement:

The Emergency Management Division of the Sanibel Police Department oversees the All Hazards and Hurricane Action Plan to ensure the safety of residents, business owners, visitors, and the protection of property of the City of Sanibel. During severe weather emergencies, the plans are put into action when a specific storm threat is identified by the Lee County Emergency Operations Center.

Contact Information:

Sanibel Police Major Michael Murray email
239-472-3111 ext. 232

Emergency Management Specialist Stephanie Dowd email
239-472-3111 ext. 234

Sanibel Hurricane History:

Since 1873, there have been over 50 tropical cyclones passing within 100 nautical miles of the Fort Myers area. Twenty of these storms have been hurricanes passing within 75 miles of Sanibel Island, each of which posed a significant threat to property and lives on the Island at some point in its life cycle. Hurricane Charley, striking on August 13, 2004, with winds of 131 mph, has been the most destructive hurricane to hit the City of Sanibel since it incorporated in 1974 and after Hurricane Donna in 1960. Following Hurricane Charley, the next year, 2005, the eye of Hurricane Wilma passed within 75 miles of the City of Sanibel. During the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, mandatory evacuation orders were issued by the City of Sanibel for Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Wilma.

The City of Sanibel Hurricane Action Plan:
The Emergency Management Division works closely with the community and all Departments within the City each year to review and update critical information for the Hurricane Safety Element of the (EAR) Evaluation and Appraisal Reports. It is imperative that the vision of the Sanibel Plan continues to be followed as it has been for 30 years. The City of Sanibel's Hurricane Action Plan for severe weather, emergency preparation, evacuation, reentry, and recovery has changed enormously since its inception in the early days of the City's incorporation. The City of Sanibel is dedicated to keeping the Plan updated with all the current information and technology necessary to ensure safety of life and protection of property.

SPECIAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS & AWARDS

Hurricane Management Award 2005

Hurricane preparedness has been a priority for the City of Sanibel since its incorporation in 1974. The City of Sanibel was one of the first communities to recognize the importance of the hurricane hazard to sound growth management. Its planning efforts included many community partners and covered hurricane education, evacuation, reentry, and recovery. It also became a willing participant in the County's emergency planning effort and brought a neighboring unincorporated Island community under its wing. This preparedness program was fully tested when Hurricane Charley struck Florida, and the program passed with flying colors. Because Sanibel Island was evacuated, the City established an off-Island Emergency Operations Center in a hotel and staffed it 24 hours a day and seven days a week. It held daily meetings with the Island residents to keep them informed and used a website to post information and photographs of the storm's impact on the Island. The City put together reentry packets and provided them to residents when they returned to Sanibel Island. It also worked with private and public recovery organizations to find ways to cooperatively speed up relief efforts. This diligent work to take care of its citizens serves as a model of customer service under the most adverse conditions.

Program Excellence Award - 2005 ICMA Public Safety

As a Gulffront barrier Island, the City of Sanibel has always taken hurricane planning and public education seriously. Hurricane Charley put the City's Emergency Management Plan to the ultimate test on August 13th, when the eye of the Category 4 hurricane swept across the Island with sustained winds of 143 mph, toppling trees and destroying the Island's electrical utilities. It was through the City's advance planning and public information efforts that the Island suffered no loss of life throughout the evacuation, reentry, and ongoing restoration process.

Public information communication included:

1.) Due to the forecast, the entire City Government was evacuated off-Island, 12 miles from Sanibel and continued to operate from a remote location 24 hours a day, including daily community meetings attended by thousands of residents;

2.) A reverse 9-1-1 phone alert to every citizen on the Island;

3.) Updates to the City's 800 Hurricane Hotline;

4.) Community updates and media briefings;

5.) Real-time updates to the City's website;

6.) Radio alerts updates for citizens who purchased emergency weather radios through the Sanibel Police Department and;

7.) Notification to the volunteer Ham Operator Network to be prepared to help as back-up communications. As evacuation orders shifted from voluntary to mandatory on August 12th, police officers literally went door-to-door to encourage citizens to evacuate the Island.

Responsibilities

• Emergency management planning – Police staff maintains and updates the Sanibel Emergency Management Plan. This includes coordinating efforts between all City departments and recommending enhancements to department’s plans. Police staff also develops plans for preparation, evacuation and recovery.
• Maintain contact with weather consultant – Police staff maintains close contact with the City’s weather consultant throughout the hurricane season for up to date forecasts of weather systems that may impact Sanibel.
• Coordinate emergency planning with outside agencies – Police staff maintains close contact and working relations with Lee County emergency management officials, local municipalities, local fire districts, schools, utilities, taxing districts and community partners throughout the year.
• Implement Hurricane Pass Program – Police staff implements the City of Sanibel Hurricane Pass Program, by issuing passes to residents, property owners and business owners on Sanibel and Captiva for re-entry to the islands after an evacuation. Staff designs and contracts for the printing of the passes, and compiles and maintains data from the hurricane pass applications.
• Hurricane and disaster preparedness education – Police staff designs and contracts for the printing of educational brochures and disseminates them to the public; prepares and disseminates articles for local newspapers and holds public awareness seminars.
• Maintain and implement emergency evacuation plans – Police staff implements evacuation plans for Sanibel if the need arises. This includes public notification and maintaining a safe route for the evacuation.
• Maintain and implement re-entry plans – Police staff develops, maintains and implements plans for island re-entry after an evacuation has been initiated.
• Maintain and implement recovery plans – Police staff develops, maintains and updates recovery plans for different scenarios, such as; minimal damage, moderate to major damage and catastrophic damage recovery plans.
• Implement disaster security plan – Police staff maintains and implements a disaster security plan that maximizes the protection of personal property after an emergency evacuation of Sanibel and maintains the security detail until the return of property owners or as conditions permit.
• Implement emergency communication plan – Police staff develops, maintains and implements an emergency communications plan in the event that normal communications are compromised due to a catastrophic event.
• Alert Radio Program – Police department staff maintains the emergency alert radio system and sells alert radios to the public. Staff trains the public on the purpose and how to use the alert radios.
• Implement Special Needs Program – Police staff develops, maintains and implements plans to assist the special needs population on Sanibel in the event of an emergency evacuation. This plan includes identifying the special needs population prior to an emergency, tracking special needs population through a data base, assessing their needs and either directing them to providers who can assist them or provide direct assistance if necessary.
• Maintain emergency contracts – Police staff identifies emergency needs for food, water, community resource centers, communications, transportation, housing, supplies, support resources and equipment and secures contracts to provide the needed resources during an emergency.
• Provide and coordinate emergency / disaster training – Emergency management coordinator assesses, determines and initiates emergency training for City staff, including; job specific emergency duties, CPR, defibrillator and all other associated emergency training.
• Participate in Lee County Disaster Council – The emergency management coordinator attends monthly Lee County Disaster Council meetings and facilitates a dialog regarding the City of Sanibel disaster mitigation and preparedness needs.
• Participate in Lee County Medical Society meetings – The emergency management coordinator attends monthly Lee County Medical Society meetings and facilitates a dialog regarding emergency medical needs and conditions of special needs citizens and planning for medical emergencies, including pandemic influenza.