PCSO Fully Mobilizes For Hurricane Response

September 12, 2023

by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

Despite some flooding in Tarpon Springs, Shore Acres, and on the barrier islands, Pinellas County got through Hurricane Idalia more or less intact. But we’re not out of the woods yet. The Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) wants you to know that we are always prepared. You might be reassured to learn some more details of exactly how PCSO makes sure you’re safe when hurricanes strike.

Patrol and Special Operations

As Hurricane Idalia approached, nearly every sworn member was mobilized. Regular days off were put on hold and everyone went to work for 12 hour shifts, either days or nights. Technically deputies could go home after their shift, but they were expected to report for the next one so if there was any concern that the weather conditions might keep them home, they slept at the office.

Members of Patrol stuck close to their usual responsibilities. They took calls for service for as long as possible, although if the winds hit 50 miles per hour they can’t drive. Each squad found a place to hole up so they could park their vehicles and remain in a safe location during the worst of the storm, positioned to quickly respond once conditions improved. Sworn members who usually work in other areas, such as detectives, received special assignments for the storm.

PCSO has a lot of vehicles designed to work in extreme conditions, including Humvees and the LMTV – the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle. The LMTV can carry up to 15 people and can operate in as much as four feet of water, making it an ideal high water rescue vehicle. Members trained in the operation of these vehicles were ready to rescue anyone stranded by floodwaters.

Although the bigger boats were stored high and dry during the worst of the storm, smaller vessels that can be launched virtually anywhere such as jon boats and inflatables were placed in strategic locations throughout the county to mobilize for rescues as needed. By the afternoon after the storm had passed, the larger vessels were back at the marina.

Civilians at PCSO were mobilized too. Anyone deemed essential was called in to work. That included some members of the Public Relations Bureau, which made sure that citizens received the most up-to-date information throughout the crisis. PR members were out with cameras as soon as the storm passed to document our rescue and relief efforts.

Flight

Some parts of the PCSO have to evacuate just like citizens do. The valuable high-tech equipment in the Forensics building was relocated because that facility is in a flood zone. Even our helicopters needed to be moved out of the area for the duration of the storm. “Fortunately we have a great relationship with the staff at NASA’s air operations unit at Kennedy Space Center,” said Sergeant Bryan Smith. “We flew them over there, pushed the aircraft inside and waited out the storm.” They also transported spare parts, tools, and cameras, and even brought along a maintenance technician in case of mechanical issues.

Helicopters have very strict safety limits, particularly during takeoff. “Airbus has shown that the aircraft can be safely started and hovered in headwinds of 35 knots and crosswinds of approximately 20 knots,” Smith said. Gusts are the most dangerous part. Once they are airborne and moving forward in normal flight, the helicopter can handle higher wind. “We’ve flown at altitude in winds that exceeded 50 knots. That’s not to say it’s fun – those conditions can be bumpy and uncomfortable.” The helicopter can fly through rain as long as they have visibility, but not in clouds.

Even after the hurricane passed, bands of strong storms persisted and the pilots had to navigate home between them, carefully calculating the best route as they went. “We do a lot of weather-related training,” Smith said. “Flying between bands of a hurricane is not much different than the kind of flying we do all summer long in Florida.”

It was important that the helicopters return to Pinellas as soon as they could safely do so. By midday after the hurricane they were back in Pinellas. “We were tasked with damage assessment of the areas impacted by flooding,” Smith said. “We didn’t land first, we went right into the mission.” Everything they saw from above was relayed in real time to the phones and computers of PCSO staff, and to the large monitors in the county Emergency Operations Center. They had to dodge other intense storm pockets as they flew over the damage. “Being able to survey the county from the air is critical for the entire county government. We see areas that are difficult or impossible to access from the ground.” They can also check out the entire county in just a couple of hours or less. When county officials had questions about the damage, the PCSO Flight Unit could provide answers through high definition, real time video.

Fleet

Our vehicle maintenance facility is rated for a Category 5 hurricane, so that became a default storage area for some vital equipment, including some of the Marine Unit’s vessels, a helicopter that was in pieces in the middle of scheduled maintenance, and chain saws staged for cleanup after the storm. Beyond that, Fleet was busy all through the storm making sure all of our vehicles were operational. “Many of the service needs required during the storm event were tire repairs, headlights, wiper blades, and the occasional high water occurrence that disables vehicles,” said Fleet Manager Scott Mueller. Despite flooding, only four PCSO vehicles were disabled due to storm conditions. Our newer Tahoes can handle 20 inches of water. Conditions were extreme enough that even the LMTV had a charging system failure, but mechanics swiftly got it operational again.

Clever Technology

The PCSO uses some interesting technology to help keep people safe during hurricanes. After a hurricane, malfunctioning traffic lights can be a hazard. After a past hurricane created traffic frustrations, PCSO started using vehicles equipped with power inverters that convert DC to AC power and connect to the traffic light controller to power the intersection and keep the lights cycling. “It’s very effective and has been widely adopted,” Mueller said.

Downed power lines are another hazard after storms. While we didn’t have too much wind damage here in Pinellas, a few lines came down. When we send chain saw teams out to clear debris for rescues, they wear personal voltage meters that will alert them if they come near the electrical field generated by a live wire.

Cones, Cuisine, and Cleanup

An incredible amount of logistical planning goes into preparing for a storm. Members have to be fed, so catering services are brought to the Sheriff’s Administrative Building (SAB) and the jail. (For more on how the jail handles a hurricane, see this story in Inside the Star.)

The SAB also becomes the storage place for hundreds and hundreds of orange cones and folding stop signs. The PCSO has a big supply of its own for everyday use, but it rents extra ahead of storms.

After it’s all over, everything must be immediately reset for normal operations. Forensics equipment is sent back so Forensics Specialists can collect evidence. Cones are trucked back to their supplier. And every vehicle that has touched salty or muddy floodwaters is washed down to prevent corrosion. Then PCSO members get to rest and train, ready for the next hurricane.

Your Future Is In Jail

by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

The Pinellas County Jail is a great place to work. No, really. Just because you don’t want to be sent to jail doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give serious thought to going there voluntarily. We’ll talk about the benefits, the camaraderie, the opportunity to work in many different areas… but let’s lead with something that is always on everyone’s mind when thinking about a new career: money.

Right now the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is offering special incentives to become a Detention Deputy. If you are hired to go through the next corrections academy that starts in January, you’ll receive a $15,000 signing bonus. Yes, you read that right – and the money will appear in your first paycheck. You don’t have to have any experience at all. If you are hired you’ll be paid while you go through the academy and learn everything you need to know to become certified to work in the jail. The minimum age is 19, and starting pay is $65,000. Can you think of many other professions where a young woman or man straight out of high school can make that kind of salary, plus that sweet signing bonus that can go toward a car or house downpayment? This is the kind of opportunity you need to tell your friends and relatives about.

PCSO offers great health insurance and other benefits, and is on the state retirement system. Young people might not be thinking about retirement yet, but consider this: if you start at 19 you could finish your career at age 44 and then receive a substantial pension while you enjoy your leisure or explore your other passions.

(Already corrections certified? Even better. If you’re hired you’ll get a $20,000 signing bonus in that first paycheck, with experience pay up to $68,000.)

Before I worked at PCSO, I assumed the jail would be a depressing place. For the employees, though, the impression is anything but that. I’m always amazed by the camaraderie among the deputies who work at the jail. There are definite hardships to the job – you’re responsible for the care, custody, and control of a difficult population – but every detention deputy I talk to emphasizes that it is their fellow employees who make their job enjoyable.

“I always try to bring happiness and positivity to this job,” said Sergeant Jimmy Fortner. “A happy environment is a safe environment, and one that people want to work in. We have that good camaraderie and we make people feel special and wanted, and that they’re making a difference. We have cookouts, we do things to build that camaraderie, that sense of family. And man, that makes a big difference!”

“Reach out to those young people and let them know about this job,” Sergeant Fortner said. “They know the bad parts, they know what they see on TV, but that’s not the whole picture. You’re going to meet good people here. This isn’t a sad, depressed place to come and work. It’s not for everybody, but if you come in with your eyes open it might be for you.” He says a new recruit should be a confident, positive, open minded person.

There are many divisions to work in at the jail, and a lot of opportunity for both advancement and new experiences. If your passion is investigation, the jail has its own detectives. Like looking sharp? Join the Honor Guard. Maybe you have what it takes to join the Corrections Response Team, the “SWAT of the jail” that is called out for some of the most high risk assignments. Two members of the Department of Detention and Corrections are currently Public Information Officers, working with the media. Opportunities abound.

These bonuses are a limited time offer, specific to the next corrections academy of PCSO sponsored recruits starting in January. So tell your friends, and read more about the position Deputy Sheriff Recruit – Detention and Corrections. Better yet, come to our next job fair on Tuesday, September 19 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Pinellas County Jail, 14400 49th Street North. For more information, call Human Resources at 727-582-6208.