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From checking the weather to tracking power outages, Frisco officials monitor urgent situations like today’s extreme temperatures from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
“During inclement weather, we will utilize the Emergency Operations Center where employees from departments throughout the city will monitor for any safety concerns, deploy necessary resources and communicate any necessary information as quickly as possible to the citizens and anyone who may be visiting Frisco,” Frisco police Sgt. Stephen Byrom said in an email.
In the December episode of Safety Matters, Frisco fire marshal Kelly Kistner takes viewers inside the EOC. The center plays an essential role in managing the city during emergencies and was a central point for decision making and communicating during previous ice storms, he said.
Jason Lane, deputy emergency management coordinator, said the center is vital for providing resources to those out in the field.
“If we had a storm come through town, where are the power outages? How much damage do we have? We put them on a map so we can see them visually,” Lane said. “If we have guys out in the field, patrol officers out in the field or public works guys out on the field, we make sure they’ve got everything they need to do their jobs and protect the residents of Frisco.”
Lane, speaking of the ice-storm of 2021, said crews working at the EOC handled a variety of situations as they tracked the weather, power failures and other issues
“We had a lot of pipes burst from freezing temperatures, and we had crews on the fire side and public works go out and take care of those,” Lane said, adding that the efforts allowed city crews to quickly turn off water in areas to prevent further damage.
During situations such as ice storms, the city brings in employees from across various departments to help with other t asks — such as tracking expenses and available resources.
“Do we have enough fuel to get us through until the weather breaks? All of those things we’re coordinating,” Lane said.