All hands on deck





Texas State Guard members traveled to Charlotte to assess the sewage system on Saturday, June 25.

Texas State Guard members traveled to Charlotte to assess the sewage system on Saturday, June 25.

Last week Emergency Management Coordinator David Prasifka saw months of hard work and planning come to fruition when “Operation Strong Castle” launched at base camp set up by Texas State Guard at the Emergency Management office in Jourdanton.

David Prasifka, along with Bexar County Emergency Management specialists and Texas State Guard member, Mark Chadwick, organized a drill to be held in Atascosa County. The purpose, to assess local water and sewer systems, bridges, communication systems, etc. in the case of a full blown emergency, such as massive flooding, tornadoes, winds or hail.

Joining in the drill were 21 Atascosa County Personnel (including the EMC, County Judge, County Commissioner, and additional personnel), 18 Texas State Guard Engineers, 42 Texas State Guard Medical and nine Atascosa County Amateur Radio Club members. They completed 35 exercise injects (unexpected scenarios) and 13 assessments.

During a two hour meeting on Friday, June 24, the crew discussed various plans and core capabilities the Atascosa County Emergency Management Office has in place to be prepared for an emergency. Prasifka explained the office is basically a touch point between various agencies and officials in local communities. He said, he has contacts all over the area and the state. Volunteer fire department chiefs, members, city public work employees, the sheriff’s office, local police department, commissioners, judges, E.M.S. and the hospital.

In case of emergency, it’s “All Hands on Deck” but responder safety is also of concern. Each situation must be assessed and handled with caution. These situations are exactly where Texas State Guard comes in.

The mission of the Texas State Guard (TXSG) is to provide missionready military forces to assist state and local authorities in times of state emergencies; to conduct homeland security and community service activities under the umbrella of Defense Support to Civil Authorities; and to augment the Texas Army National Guard and Texas Air National Guard as required. They are “Texans Serving Texas.”

As for the drill, all areas of assessment were completed successfully with minor problems that were fixed immediately. Assessments were made in Jourdanton, Leming, Poteet and Charlotte.

This drill is the first ever in the state, in fact, it is the first in the United States. A check list will now be available for other emergency management offices to use to determine if their area meets requirements.

Visit www.i-info.com to sign up for local emergency alerts. You can also “like” the ‘Atascosa Emergency Management Office’ page on facebook. In the current digital age, we often assume that everyone is aware of alerts concerning weather and various other dangerous situations. This is not always the case, so keep that in mind and don’t be afraid to phone a friend or family member to see if they are aware.

If you are inclined to volunteer or need more information on disaster preparedness the Emergency Management Office is located at 711 Broadway in Jourdanton, the old Atascosa County jail.

The internet is also a wealth of information for disaster preparedness. According to the Department of Homeland Security website preparing your family for a disaster is critical because your family may not be together when a disaster strikes. It is important to create a plan in advance and to have a disaster supplies kit that includes basic items from your home that you may need in case of emergency. Your plan should include:

How you will get to a safe place

How you will contact each other

How you will get back together

What you will do in different situations

Visit dhs.gov for further detailed information.

David Prasifka expressed his thanks to the Texas State Guard, Jourdanton VFW Post # 4853, Bexar County Emergency Management Office, Cam Safety, Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office, City of Charlotte, City of Poteet, Poteet VFD, Charlotte VFD, Jourdanton VFD, Pleasanton Express, Mark Chadwick, Kyle Coleman, Jay Fojtik, Tito Carrasco, Curtis Adams, Izzy Martinez, Tina Lopez and the citizens and businesses of Atascosa County for showing respect to the Texas State Guard for their help in this project.

TXSG is headquartered at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas and functions as an organized state militia under the authority of Title 32 of the U.S. Code and Chapter 437 of the Texas Government Code. Requirements to join the TXSG are: Must be a resident of Texas for at least 180 days, U.S. citizen or permanent resident, Between 18 and 70 years old, Not be a registered sex offender and Undergo a criminal background check.


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