Year Like No Other for Emergency Management

In this photo from March, County Emergency Management Chief Craig Moreau (center) traveled to Austin to pick up supplies of personal protection equipment for use by first responders and healthcare workers in Fayette County. Interns Brenden Gilbreath (left) and Chris Story (right) demonstrated some of those supplies, including face masks, gowns and eye protection. Gilbreath, a student at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and Story, a student at Texas A&M in College Station, are assisting the county office of emergency management while their classes have been cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis. File photo by Andy Behlen

The Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security’s goal for 2020 was to focus on evaluating needs for emergency response and disaster recovery even in the midst of the longest declared disaster in our county, and our nation’s history. The Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 became a household word and affected the life of virtually every citizen, and ended the life of at least 15 of our Fayette County residents. The disaster will continue through 2021 until we have a sufficient amount of natural or vaccinated resistant residents to end the pandemic.

Throughout the year we were able to train and equip every department with both COVID and non-COVID needs. We provided both short term and long term supplies and equipment through our partnerships with local, state, federal, and private entities. In 2020 Fayette County Emergency Management:

• Expanded the Fayette County Incident Command System to include multiple elected and appointed officials in to Section Chief and Branch Director positions.

• Successfully submitted and funded approximately $1,049,000.00 in cumulative grants.

• Submitted and awaiting determination on an additional $24 million grants.

• Developed and deployed a county-wide personal protective equipment (PPE) acquisition and distribution system.

• Hired a full time Assistant Management Coordinator/Grant Specialist and developed an internship program to assist multiple citizens and departments.

• Became a member of the Texas CAPCOG Homeland Security Task Force and the Regional Response, Interoperable Communications, Training, and Technology committees.