City tackles mock-hurricane drill
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Hannah Bunning/Gulf Breeze News Russell Rauanheimo runs a maintenance check on the generator at Sail Wind condominiums.

While most residents experienced a partially cloudy, warm spring afternoon June 5, much darker clouds were brewing over Gulf Breeze City Hall. City officials completed a successful hurricane drill that day to test the city's infrastructure as residents plodded away unaware of the virtual category three storm being simulated around them.

"There's no system that's 100 percent prepared but we are well prepared," said the city's Assistant Director of Public Services Thomas Lambert. "We will be able to get things back up and running, utility-wise, within four days."

At approximately 8:30 a.m. officials placed every traffic light with in the city limits, with the exception of the one located at Fairpoint and 98, on auxiliary generator power. After the lift station and water plant were also put on generator power, utility workers identified and turned off low-lying water lines, checked drainage structures and storm water lift stations. The city's two natural gas sources, submerged pipes under Pensacola Bay and underground lines from Okaloosa County, were thoroughly checked and tested.

"We would do the same thing if it's a category 2 or a category 5 [hurricane]," Lambert said. "We check and clear the streets, check the water system and get the sewer system up and running."

Officials agreed that while many of the mechanical and utility systems worked perfectly, communication was one area that needed some improvement.

"We learned how much communication it takes to get everything from normal mode to emergency operation in a matter of hours," said City Manager Edwin 'Buz' Eddy. "It's good for us to go through these exercises to know how critical communication is."

The city's Interfaith Disaster Recovery (IDR) program, a collection of various church and civil leaders, also tested their ability to coordinate water and ice distribution points. In the event of a natural disaster, IDR would be responsible for coordinating volunteers and the various resources of its faith-based member organizations.

"I think we're in pretty good shape and I think the exercise showed us we're in good shape," Eddy said.