The setup
The association initiated a new procedure creating the Wildfire Task Force in March to streamline the resources and response between city and county fire and emergency departments ahead of this year’s summer wildfire season running from August through October.
The new system breaks Williamson County into four regions divided by I-35 and Hwy. 29, each with their own task force made up of city and county fire and emergency medical services departments. If one task force needs additional resources when responding to a wildfire, another task force will step in.
The Williamson County Office of Emergency Management coordinates resources between the different agencies. The office may also request additional response from the Texas A&M Forest Service and locate a drone to provide an aerial view of the fire.
Michael Shoe, the director of Williamson County’s Office of Emergency Management, said the task force system has been used around three times so far this summer and made it easier to request additional resources for wildfire response.
Quote of note
“This task force greatly enhances our firefighting capabilities within the region, providing an elevated level of protection to our communities," said Shane Glaiser, fire chief of the Round Rock Fire Department and head of the Williamson County Fire Chief's Association. "It also offers invaluable on-the-ground experience for our crews to be better prepared to serve our own residents.”
How we got here
Central Texas has been especially vulnerable to wildfires this summer amid record-breaking heat and severe to extreme drought conditions.
Williamson, Travis, Guadalupe, Comal and Hays Counties have all issued burn bans this summer.
On Aug. 4, the National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for increased wildfire risk in several Central Texas counties, including Williamson and Travis counties.
Read here for tips on how to prevent wildfires.
