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chief planner for the past seven years. He started his new job on May 27. While he is listed on the Police Department's organizational chart, he actually will coordi- nate with all city departments to prepare for and then react to natural and man-made trou- ble. One primary mission will be to save the city millions of dollars. HURRICANES REMAIN A PRINCIPAL FOCUS Kerkering spoke with The Sarasota News Leader on June 30, his first interview in his new office and after the start of his new position. At the same time, the season's first tropical storm was getting organized, too, pumping up strength just offshore of southeast Florida. As of our deadline, Tropical Storm Arthur is expected to be a Category One hurricane that will strike the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Arthur's impact on Sarasota's weather has been minimal; only an expert eye on the radar would have noticed one of Arthur's earliest and outermost rain bands sweep Sarasota north-to-south on Tuesday afternoon, July 1. Reacting to hostile weather is only part of Kerkering's job, although the one with the highest visibility. The greatest threat to the city? "A land-falling hurricane like Ike, with a 20-foot storm surge," he said. In 2008, Ike made a beeline for Galveston, TX, smashing head-on into the barrier islands of the Bolivar Peninsula, moving like a Brillo pad over a dirty plate. Hurricane Charley, by contrast, paralleled Florida's west coast before taking a last-minute So big there is an echo, Kerkering's office will fill rapidly and operate 24 hours per day in the event of a local natural or man-made emergency. Photo by Stan Zimmerman Sarasota News Leader July 4, 2014 Page 64