County Judge recognizes Municipal District Services Severn Trent and SouthWest Water Company

COUNTY JUDGE RECOGNIZES MUNICIPAL DISTRICT SERVICES, SEVERN TRENT, AND SOUTHWEST WATER COMPANY FOR BECOMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COUNTY’S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NETWORK

Today in County Commissioner Court, County Judge Bob        Hebert recognized Municipal District Services, Severn Trent, and SouthWest Water Company for participating in a voluntary National Incident Management System (NIMS) Program that he initiated after last year’s Hurricane Season. Each company completed the requirements of the program and are hereby recognized as “NIMS Competent First Responders.”

Those recognized have earned the distinction by taking actions to become an integral part of the County’s emergency management network. The program involves a series of actions to be taken to make these operating companies more prepared for the 2009 Hurricane Season, improve communications with emergency management staff at the County level, and truly begin to make the County’s water districts responsible for emergency management activities. County Judge Bob Hebert stated, “The program is based on assuring that participating operating companies are fully informed on the workings of the National Incident Management System and the role of the county in supporting all first responders during a declared emergency. The idea is to ensure improved communications between emergency management personnel and utility operators and to include utility district representation in the County EOC in all future activities.”

The conditions of the program included having employees from each utility operating company complete four NIMS on-line training courses (100, 200, 700 and 800).  Employees completed this FEMA training in the first quarter of 2009. Additionally, multiple employees attended a training session at the Fort Bend County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). During this session, attendees learned key definitions, the difference between crisis management and consequence management, the emergency response realities for municipal utility districts, the purpose and objectives of the County EOC, and the framework for the State of Texas Emergency Management Plan.  Finally, multiple company personnel attended an Annual Hurricane Preparation Meeting at the Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

Jeff Braun, the County’s Emergency Management Coordinator, notes that “OEM staff is committed to expanding the readiness program and he is hopeful that additional companies will take advantage of the training offered in the voluntary program.”  Overall, the program is intended to ensure a more coordinated and effective response to water emergencies that may occur in the future in Fort Bend County.

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