Sheriff's Mutual Aid Response Team (SMART) trains for hurricane season response
Screenshots of SMART training obtained from CCSO video.
Citrus County, Florida - In late June, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) Sheriff's Mutual Aid Response Team (SMART) participated in an all-day training session to prepare for the 2023 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30.
The SMART is a specialized team, comprised of twenty people with a variety of technical skills. SMART is most frequently deployed to assist with relief efforts in areas impacted by major storms and other emergency situations. SMART is deployed both locally and to assist other counties throughout Florida in emergency law enforcement activities, search and rescue missions and administering other types of needed aid. SMART is prepared 24/7, 365 days a year, to quickly respond to requests for assistance. It coordinates with other agencies to provide needed services and promote the safety of the community in need of its services.
The week of training covered the operation of high-water vehicles and setting up power for sleeping areas and hygiene stations, among other functions. During storm recoveries, SMART must be prepared for self-sustainability and has the ability to provide service for over two weeks in areas without access to power or water. The team brings with it two large shelter systems and two restroom trailers fully equipped with a shower. The team learned how to set up these new systems, and also practiced maneuvering vehicles, such as shallow-water rescue vehicles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and high-water vehicles that are used to traverse areas impacted by severe storms or flooding.
"The primary goal of our SMART is simply to help others in need, not necessarily just in Citrus County, but all over the state," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "We train diligently for these emergency situations and are prepared to assist at a moment's notice. We are ready and willing to support any agency in need, and we know, that if we needed any kind of aid, they would equally have our back, showing up with every asset they have."
The Florida Sheriff's Association (FSA) Regional Task Force is made up of all 67 sheriff's offices within the state, divided into seven zones, all with the goal of working together during emergency operations. The CCSO is part of the FSA Regional Task Force Zone 4, which also includes Hernando, Sumter, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, and Hardee counties.
Under the authority of the Florida Mutual Aid Act, sheriffs in the state are able to enter into an operational assistance mutual aid agreement for law enforcement service, which provides for the sheriff's offices to render assistance in law enforcement emergencies such as a catastrophic or major disaster. In the event an area is impacted, the sheriff of that region can request assistance from other sheriff's offices.
Citrus County received equipment and gear from the FSA to deploy and share amongst FSA Regional Task Force Zone 4, which includes an enclosed trailer, a shower trailer, shelter systems, a water trailer, a generator, a mobile kitchen and 40 cots.
View a CCSO video of the SMART training here: https://youtu.be/XSY_Jg2bYTg.