Goodyear, AZ, August 28, 2017

Hurricane Harvey is taking a toll on the emergency responders and communities of Texas. The International Public Safety Association’s Executive Director, Heather R. Cotter, emailed its members based in Texas on Sunday, August 27, 2017.

IPSA members from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, Fire/EMS as well as 911 telecommunications reported back, albeit briefly, that they appreciated the correspondence. One IPSA member, Chief Gary Teeler with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stated that he was working more than 15-hour days in the Special Operations Center since Harvey made landfall. Another IPSA member, with the ATF based in Dallas, indicated that his team was en route to Houston.

Executive Director Cotter stated that, “The impact, response and recovery efforts are all still unknown, but what we do know is that the emergency responders in Texas are pulling together and working around the clock. There are a lot of unknowns about the integrity of critical infrastructure during this type of flooding and every emergency responder is working selflessly to save as many lives as possible.”

Hurricane Harvey, classified as a Category 4 hurricane, made landfall on Friday, August 25, 2017. Emergency responders are coming together from around the state, and the country, to provide aid. Response and recovery efforts are still in progress. These efforts will continue for the foreseeable future. Harvey’s total impact and devastation is still unknown, but preliminary reports are indicating that it will take several communities years to rebuild.

About the International Public Safety Association

The International Public Safety Association, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was established in July 2014 in the State of Arizona. Our Mission is to break down the cultural barriers and foster the relationships between EMS, fire, law enforcement, telecommunicators, and emergency responders. Our vision is for a stronger, more integrated public safety community capable of an effective joint response to all public safety incidents. www.joinipsa.org

Media Contact
Heather R. Cotter, Executive Director
Mobile: 703-909-7616
heather@joinipsa.org