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EVACUATED.  HUNTS CONCLUSION SHELTERS MUST BE STAFFED BY OPERATORS WHO CAN
THINK ON THEIR FEET.  DRILLS AND EXERCISES ALONE CANNOT REPLACE CRITICAL
THINKING DURING REAL EVENTS LIKE HURRICANE IAN.  A REPORT FROM THE SARASOTA
AGRICULTURAL RESPONSE GROUP CHUCK JOHNSTON, W4CWJ, HEADS THE SARASOTA
AGRICULTURAL RESPONSE GROUP SARG NET, AND REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO HURRICANE
IAN, SARG RAN TWO EXTENSIVE DRILLS THAT PREPARED MEMBERS FOR DAM BREAKS
AND FLOODING.  COUNTIES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE I 75 CORRIDOR ARE RURAL AND
HAVE LARGE HERDS OF HORSES AND CATTLE, AS MEAT AND DAIRY ARE HUGE 
INDUSTRIES IN THE REGION.  SARG CHOSE NEXT GENERATION DIGITAL NARROWBAND
NXDN RADIO EQUIPMENT BECAUSE IT WORKS WELL IN FRINGE AREAS.  OPERATORS ALSO
USED NXDN EQUIPMENT TO CONNECT SARASOTA AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES WITHOUT
TYING UP OTHER REPEATERS, AND TO NOTIFY THE SHERIFF AND ASSIST WITH
CLEARING A BLOCKED ROADWAY THAT WOULD LATER BE OPEN ONLY TO EMERGENCY
VEHICLES.  AFTER THE STORM, THEY WORKED WITH THE STATE TO SERVICE A THREE
COUNTY AREA AND SET UP RESOURCE STAGING.  IN MYAKKA CITY, MORE THAN 700
HEAD OF CATTLE WERE LOST DUE TO FLOODING.  SARG HELPED WITH SIX ANIMAL
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