The Year That Was in Emergency Management
Fayette Co. Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
2022 was a year that once again proved Fayette County has the best citizens and the best neighbors in Texas, and probably in the whole world. Time and time again volunteers and community organizations stepped up to help in all of the major and minor needs. Volunteer organizations became more robust by assisting each other and learning from each other. One organization hosted a first ever “Rural Philanthropy Day” which joined hundreds of funders, board members, and volunteers together in an effort for better resilience and governance.
This year saw a significant drought that lasted throughout the summer. Multiple fires occurred, but thankfully were contained by our wonderful volunteer fire departments before they became massive in size. Our contiguous counties were not as lucky, and Fayette County was asked to provide mutual-aid to several of our friends. Our mutual-aid agreements make us all safer. Undoubtedly the time will come when we need the assistance of our partners in other counties and I’m glad to report those relationships are stronger than ever. I am also thankful for the help our local community and government partners offered to assist farmers and ranchers that suffered significant financial loss due to the drought.
This year found most people with a “new normal” as it relates to communicable diseases, especially the Covid-19 virus. After several years of uncertainty and heartache due to communicable diseases our healthcare facilities and long-term care facilities are now better equipped than ever to deal with new threats. Major university medical schools including Texas A&M are shifting some focus to rural healthcare. The data-driven approach will help us to discover what the needs truly are. Fayette County was previously named one of the healthiest counties in Texas, and we have an incredible amount of citizens that live to be greater than 100 years old. We do have some areas that fall well behind the average, and those areas need proactive solutions to prevent unnecessary suffering.
The Fayette County Emergency Management office is working closely with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, our newly appointed county liaison, district coordinators, and the Homeland Security Task Force to manage emergencies with increasing efficiency and effectiveness. One goal is to explore high-tech solutions, but also have low-tech back up plans in case of a technology failure. These lessons were learned in previous floods and freezes. We continue to participate in mock exercises that push our capabilities and expose the strengths and weaknesses of the Fayette County Emergency Management Plan.
For additional information, or volunteer opportunities please contact craig.moreau@co.fayette.tx.us