The agencies in Florida's Tampa Bay area were the Largo Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, and the Clearwater Police Department. So that some damaged areas were not overwhelmed with help while others were neglected, mutual aid efforts were coordinated through the law enforcement desk at the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the State capital. The EOC received all of the calls for assistance and offers of aid from unaffected departments throughout the State. Agencies were deployed to areas where they were most needed. In the course of preparation and in the aftermath of the hurricane, agency representatives attended briefings with the local county EOC, along with other agencies such as the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Guard, and the county Emergency Operations manager. Planning included attention to security against looting, traffic management, distribution of food and water, and provisions for the well-being of deployed personnel. Decentralized operation sites were established to facilitate the delivery of services in the event transportation routes were blocked. Suggestions are offered for agencies in responding to a disaster.