Cities gear up for hurricane season with new disaster response investments From the cover
Preparing for emergencies Pearland has grown its emergency response vehicle eet and equipment, including military vehicles, boats and drones. It performs a high-water rescue simulation using that equipment annually.
The background
Pearland rst responders, public works and emergency management o cials, and volunteers staged a simulated high-water rescue mission April 9 to allow city sta in those departments to collaborate and prepare for an actual rescue mission during a storm, Pearland Emergency Management Coordinator Peter Martin said. It’s one of several ways Pearland has tried to upgrade its equipment and training in the case of an emergency. For example, after a child drowned in a detention pond in 2017, Pearland acquired drones for rescue teams to deliver life jackets and radios across ooded areas and assess dangers before sending in personnel. City sta said lessons learned during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 also continue to shape Pearland’s disaster preparedness approach. “We learned a lot from Hurricane Harvey, ... and we’re building on those lessons,” Martin said. In the years since, Pearland has expanded its eet of high-water vehicles, including surplus military trucks acquired through the federal Law Enforcement Support O ce program. O cials further modi ed the vehicles with lifts to aid in evacuating individuals with limited mobility. The city did not have to pay for the vehicles but did cover the $30,000 cost to transfer them to Pearland, Communications Director Josh Lee said. Manvel is also updating its emergency response needs in the form of funding and new facilities, including a new police station. In 2023, Friendswood consolidated its emergency medical services into the Department of Emergency Services to make services more e cient, Friendswood Director of Communications Glenda Faulkner said.
Number of high-water vehicles 6 light medium tactical vehicles 2 boats
Number of drones 20
Number of personnel trained via the high-water rescue simulation drills 24 re department personnel 10 police personnel 12 engineering and public works personnel 47 volunteers from di erent organizations, including College of the Mainland and the city of Pearland
Pearland has upgraded its emergency equipment, including using drones to deliver needed items or assess situations.
Funding for emergency management
Percent change from 2021-2025
+ 73.42% +183.59% +548.96%
Manvel
Pearland Friendswood
$500K
$400K
$300K
$200K
$100K
$0
FY 2021
FY 2022
FY 2023
FY 2024
FY 2025
SOURCES: CITIES OF FRIENDSWOOD, MANVEL AND PEARLANDCOMMUNITY IMPACT
Key players
Staging grounds Berry Miller Junior High School is the preferred and “most suitable” location due to it's accessibility to stage an emergency response, o cials said.
property. The district will be responsible for operational costs, including utilities for emergency shelters and staging if PISD can’t get federal or state aid, according to district agenda documents. The city will also be able to use the district’s fuel and transportation resources, including bus drivers and buses, subject to availability, per the agreement. “We are steadfast in our commitment to collabo- rative planning, ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, sta and the entire Pearland com- munity,” John Palombo, PISD executive director of safety and operations, said in an email.
Community Impact previously reported Pearland ISD and the city of Pearland entered an interlocal agreement in March to coordinate e orts in large- scale emergency response and recovery operations. The agreement allows the city to use school facilities such as gyms, cafeterias, restrooms and showers as emergency shelters and disaster recovery centers. PISD will also open its facilities to temporarily place debris following natural disas- ters, as part of the agreement. The city will cover facility restoration, trans- portation support and emergency use of district
Berry Miller Junior High School
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