BRAZOS COUNTY, TX — Texas Task Force One [TX-TF1] is ready to deploy for winter storm assistance if needed, as is the Texas National Guard. Neither has been dispatched to the Brazos Valley.
However, the Texas Military Department recently dispatched 300 service members to assist across the State. National Guardsmen and women have been transporting residents to warming stations, and have assisted first responders. The Brazos Valley has not received any of these soldiers at this time, because local first responders have not requested any extra assistance.
"As long as calls are manageable by both city fire departments and the volunteer fire departments, then those requests will not be made," said Chief Jason Ware, deputy coordinator for the Brazos County Emergency Operations Center [EOC]. "As far as the EOC is concerned, we have not had any requests for state assistance.”
Chief Ware said that for this same reason, TX-TF1 has not been asked to also attend to Brazos County.
While residents of the local area have called upon first responders for assistance related to weather, ware has not been informed of any reports of Brazos county residents suffering life-threatening hypothermia.
"As far as the county [fire department] is concerned, the calls are prioritized almost like a triage system," Ware explained, drawing from his experience as a fire chief. "The worst calls get attention first, and they use a computer system to determine the severity of each call.”According to the Texas National Guard, soldiers are hard at work assisting our neighbors in Waco, clearing roads, and helping stranded motorists.
For Brazos Valley residents trapped in their homes and experiencing an emergency, Ware urges those individuals to call 9-1-1 just as they normally would, and first responders will come to bring aid.