City of Kyle joins statewide emergency response program

Jurisdictions can authorize their employees to deploy regionally or statewide during a crisis through MOUs, formal, non-binding documents outlining an agreement between two entities.

“When they activate these emergency teams, they bring subject matter experts together under one umbrella, such as teams that are related to incident management [or] our search and rescue teams,” said Kyle Police Department Chief Jeff Barnett. “These support elements would come from a variety of entities.”

The program expands the capacity of local emergency operations in participating jurisdictions by bringing in trained reinforcements to support response efforts, according to agenda documents.

“If we have a longer natural disaster that the state is calling all hands on deck for, we will be part of this program where, if an employee is available at the time, and will be willing to go, they will be dispatched as a group,” said Michael Tobias, Kyle District 6 council member and mayor pro tem.

Diving deeper

Personnel from a variety of city departments could be deployed to an emergency depending on the need and the city’s availability, Barnett said. Kyle departments and employees that could be available to assist in a disaster include:

• Heavy equipment operators
• Geographic Information Systems analysts
• Law enforcement agency representatives
• Public safety operation personnel
• Dispatchers
• Incident management team members

The city of Kyle, along with all TEMAT participants, has the discretionary authority over dispatched personnel, according to agenda documents. Teams within the program train together before incidents to ensure efficient and coordinated responses.

Multiple local area entities are currently participating in the TEMAT program, including Hays County Emergency Service District Nos. 5 and 9, Barnett said.

The breakdown

The MOU is a five-year commitment that may be rescinded within the first 30 days of its approval by either the city or Texas Division of Emergency Management, Barnett said.

Participating TEMAT agencies receive full financial reimbursement from the state to cover responder and backfill staff costs, including wages, benefits, travel and per diem, according to agenda documents.

The city will have the ability to recoup 5% of the costs to cover administrative duties related to the program, such as completing paperwork, Barnett said. Deployment obligations last approximately seven to 14 days, and the city will receive a reimbursement of costs around 45 days after the event.

“There is really no fiscal impact or cost to the city associated with being a participatory agency in this program, and we will endorse moving forward with recouping 100% of any costs that are outlined inside the obligations of the MOU,” Barnett said.