Photo provided As part of the island hurricane preparedness effort, the Matlacha-Pine Island Fire Control District has begun issuing Hurricane Hangtags for residents, property owners and business owners.

Fire officials urge island residents “don’t wait until it’s too late, get your Matlacha-Pine Island Hurricane Hangtag now”. With the 2010 hurricane season in full swing, the Matlacha-Pine Island Fire District and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is issuing 2010 Hurricane Hangtags to the residents, property owners and business owners in Matlacha and on Pine Island. According to Deputy Joe Marzella with the MPIFCD, the purpose of the hangtags is to ease entry back to the island following evacuation due to a hurricane threat.

“This program is a result of things we learned from Hurricane Charley,” said Marzella. “After Charley, anyone trying to gain entry had to stop and have their ID’s check by authorities. This way, the hurricane hangtags will help to expedite re-entry for residents and business owners.”

The following are some guidelines to the hurricane hangtag program:

n To make re-entry easier after an event, rear view mirror color coded hangtags are being issued according to designated commercial and residential district zones. These hangtags have valuable information for both hurricane preparedness and island re-entry on the reverse side. It is suggested that people keep these in their vehicles glove box for easy access, when not in use.

n Driver’s license with a Matlacha-Pine Island address may still be used; however a hurricane hangtag will expedite your return. Persons with a driver’s license with a Matlacha-Pine Island mailing address are strongly urged to also obtain a hurricane hangtag.

According to Marzella, property owners and those with commercial interests should obtain hurricane hangtags prior to when a hurricane warning has been issued. Commercial interests must also have a valid occupational license prior to application for hurricane hangtags. In addition, the new hurricane hangtag program includes a color-coded system of four zones. These zones will allow for phased re-entry if warranted and the hangtags will be color coded to indicate a specific area from which the resident or business owner is from.

“The reason for the color-coded zoning is to allow authorities to visually identify which part of the island a person is headed,” Marzella said. “It may be that after a hurricane, an area may not be accessible. For example, if the north end of the island was devastated by a storm and the person trying to re-enter that area displays a matching tag, they will be asked not to re-enter at that time.”

Applications for hurricane hangtags are available at the Matlacha-Pine Island Fire Control District Station #1, located at 5700 Pine Island Road at the island center. Applications can be obtained between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or can be downloaded from the fire department website at pineislandfire.org. Whether obtaining an application at the fire station or online, all completed applications must be returned in person to Fire Station #1.

Those who have left or will be leaving the island for the summer months also are encouraged to submit an application for a hurricane hangtag. To obtain a hangtag from out of the area, send a self-addressed, stamped #10 or legal size envelope along with proof of residency or ownership to the Station #1 Fire Department. Proof of residency or ownership should be in the form of a copy of a tax bill, deed, rental agreement, utility bill, etcetera. Those sending this information will then receive the application request forms and directions on how to obtain a hurricane hangtag.

For more information about the hurricane hangtag program, emergency preparedness and evacuation, contact the Matlacha-Pine Island Fire Control District at 283-0030.