The West End Ministers and Leaders met at the Texas City – La Marque Chamber Office Tuesday and the first order of business was to introduce five new officers joining the TCPD Police Force. Unfortunately, they did not stay for breakfast but left immediately after Chief Stanton introduced them to “get to work”,
The main program was focused on the Texas City Emergency Management’s “Together Against the Weather “ program which was introduced last year and will be in place again this year presented by E.M.’s Director, Tom Munoz.
The purpose of the program is to ensure that every vulnerable person in our city and our county, is connected to someone ready to step in and make sure they are cared for in the event of a storm or any other type of emergency situation. This day emphasis was understandably placed on preparing for Hurricane Season and what is new to the city’s arsenal of tools.
The newest and perhaps most important is the new notification system, Everbridge. The system currently has about 13,000 people signed up. Munoz pointed out that locals are getting their loved ones who live out of town, out of state , to sign up at : https://member.everbridge.net/index/453003085619412#/login or just visit the Emergency Management page on our Texas City website: http://www.texas-city-tx.org/page/emer.home. That way should a disaster strike and loved ones cannot reach you by phone, they will receive regular alerts as to conditions in the area.
Together Against the Weather puts heavy emphasis on those most vulnerable in our communities. For three years, Munoz has bee holding a workshop to help area nursing homes and caregivers create a plan for a disaster and its implementation. Although the weather dampened attendance this year, interest has spread as far away as Friendswood and areas of Houston with caretaking facilities requesting to attend.
But no program works completely without buy in from the general public. Being genuinely prepared and committed to not being in a position to have to rely on first responders is the responsibility of every able-bodied adult in the community. Being unprepared means that first responders are pulled away from more vulnerable victims who really need the help. A slide show will be available online at: thepostnewspaper.net and galvestoncountyrecovers.net in the next few days. Each week we will be offering tips and lessons learned from past storms to assist you in being fully prepared for any emergency an equally as ready to step up and offer that same assistance to your less prepared, more vulnerable neighbors.
Emergency Management Director Tom Munoz explains lessons learned from Harvey , Ike, Rita, Maria, and Katrina, all of which he was involved as either Coast Guard, Fire Department or Emergency Management leadership.
Commissioner Dorothea Jones spoke passionately about the importance of knowing your neighbors. “I am not going
anywhere until my neighbor Mrs. Watts, is in my car.” Far too many elderly citizens live alone; their family far away. Those individuals have volatile medications they are dependent on; their mobility is often limited, and they are much less able to withstand the stress that comes with an emergency and the prospect of leaving all that is familiar to them.
Enrolling these more vulnerable people in Together Against the Weather will allow Emergency Management to respond correctly to ensure that dialysis patients get power restored as quickly as possible, that diabetics have access to refrigeration for their insulin, that an individual with dementia or whose communication skills are hampered in some way has directions on how to care for them written somewhere and accessible.
TBC
