HART, EOC CONDUCT EVACUATION BUS ROUTE EXERCISE
Tampa, FL - July 12, 2007 - Hurricane Pandora has grown into a monster Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. It is currently 450 miles southwest of Tampa moving to the east-northeast at 12 mph. The entire west central coast of Florida has been placed under a Hurricane Watch.
That's the premise of an exercise being conducted by HART in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center Saturday, July 14, beginning at 9 a.m. at HART's Marion Transit Center facility in downtown Tampa. The purpose of the exercise is to activate and test the operation of HART's Emergency Evacuation Bus Route service.
Members of the media are invited to attend the pre-exercise briefing of drivers, to ride along onboard a bus, or to set up at one of the stops that will be included in the exercise.
DATE / TIME:
July 14, 2007, 9 a.m - Noon
LOCATION:
HART's Marion Transit Center (MTC) 1211 N. Marion St, Tampa 33602 (Starting point)
PARKING:
Parking is available in the lot to the west of MTC for $1 per day
EXERCISE TIMELINE:
9 a.m. Participants meet at MTC; EOC provides exercise/route briefings; route maps distributed
9:30 a.m. - approximately 11:30 a.m. Dispatch buses, drive routes
11:30 - Noon: All participants/drivers return to MTC for exercise review
BUS DESTINATIONS:
· North Boulevard Housing Area, 1129 Main St., Tampa 33607
· Arbors at Rubin Padgett Estates, 4728 S. Trask Ave., Tampa 33611
· Sickles High School, 7950 Gunn Hwy, Tampa 33626
· Middleton High School, 4801 N 22nd St, Tampa 33610
· Pizzo Elementary School, 1701 Bull Run Dr., Tampa 33620
· Corr Elementary School, 13020 Kings Lake Dr, Gibsonton, 33573
During a hurricane or other emergency, HART operates under the direction of the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The ten Emergency Evacuation Bus Routes serve four designated American Red Cross shelters in Hillsborough County. People who need transportation to these shelters can find their nearest Evacuation Bus Route on www.gohart.org or by calling the HARTinfo Line at (813) 254-HART (4278).
Areas not covered by HART's Evacuation Bus Routes will be served by buses operated by the Hillsborough County School District. Citizens needing information about emergency evacuations or with special medical needs should call the EOC at (813) 272-6900.
For more information on HART's Emergency Evacuation Bus Route service, including downloadable PDF maps and detailed instructions, visit our website, www.gohart.org, and click on "Emergency Evacuation Routes."
The mission of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority is to provide public transportation services which are safe, dependable and cost-effective, thereby enhancing the quality of life in our community.
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