More than a dozen City of Allen employees continue helping communities in south Texas recover from Hurricane Harvey.
Allen Police sent eight officers and two squad cars to Houston on September 2 as part of a state mutual aid partnership. Each will be paired with a Houston police officer to patrol the city from the Clearlake substation, near NASA. The deployment is expected to last 7-10 days.
Allen firefighters arrived in Vidnor, Texas on September 4 to help with emergency response and home searches. This is the second rotation of fire department staff deployed through the Texas Intrastate Mutual Aid System. The first group returned on September 3 from a weeklong deployment in Bridge City.
Allen Streets and Drainage Foreman Ronnie Bates is working a second stint at the State Emergency Management Center in Austin after being activated by the state. Bates is a founding member of the North Texas Public Works Response Team and was called to Austin prior to the hurricane to assist with planning efforts.
The City of Allen participates in numerous mutual aid agreements, giving the city access to a large network of staff support and equipment in times of crisis. Because Hurricane Harvey was declared a federal disaster, all labor and travel expenses will be submitted for federal reimbursement.