This facility is the first in the nation to combine a National Weather Service office with an emergency management department of local government. The 23,500-square-foot building has been designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane (winds in excess of 155 mph) and will house the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, Galveston County 9-1-1 District and members of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. This exciting partnership will help the agencies better mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all types of emergencies or disaster situations in Galveston County and the region.

The new facility will provide a location where agencies can centralize communications, technology, logistics and resource management for a wide variety of emergency services and provide a secure location from which to effectively manage crisis situations. Voters approved a bond issue in 2000 to construct this facility in League City along with a new justice center and jail in Galveston. The citizens of Galveston County can be proud of their new command center, which will make all of Galveston County a safer place to live, work and visit for years to come.

Galveston County Office of Emergency Management
The Office of Emergency Management is responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive emergency program for Galveston County. This plan addresses disaster mitigation, planning and preparedness, response to, and recovery from natural disasters and other emergencies that may affect our area.

The intent of this program is to minimize the impact of disasters, provide necessary disaster operations, and to enable an effective disaster recovery. The County works closely with public officials in each of the cities within its borders to provide seamless and efficient emergency management.

The National Weather Service
The Houston/Galveston National Weather Service office has a long history of serving the public. The first weather office in Texas (and one of the first in the nation) was established in Galveston on April 19, 1871. As a part of the modernization and reorganization of the National Weather Service, the Houston office and the Galveston office were combined.

The combined office is responsible for issuing tornado, severe thunderstorm, flash flood warnings and short-term forecasts for 23 counties in Southeast Texas. Both the NWS and Galveston County Office of Emergency Management will benefit from co-location. The agencies collaborate heavily during Hurricane Season to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Weather data is critical for proper decision-making by public officials concerning evacuations and protection of lives and property.

Galveston County Emergency Communication District
The 9-1-1 District is an important partner in the new Emergency Services Facility as well. Both Emergency Management and NWS rely heavily on radio communications to conduct business and to respond to emergencies.

The concept of the three-digit emergency number in the United States is the result of urging of some concerned citizens and the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement in 1967. On January 12, 1968, AT&T designated the digits 9-1-1 to be used throughout the country as the dedicated emergency telephone number. During the early 1970s, small and medium sized cities such as College Station, Galveston, Alice and Odessa were the first to implement 9-1-1 emergency systems in Texas.

In 1985 a law was enacted by the Texas Legislature allowing the creation of emergency communications districts in counties with a population of 20,000 or more. This allowed Galveston County to create a District in November 1987. The system became operational in April 1991. The District staff interfaces with telephone companies on a regular basis, on fee collections and reports, data base, 9-1-1 service features, public education and other pertinent issues regarding the E9-1-1 service to ensure the citizens receive the best possible service from their emergency communications systems.

Texas Division of Emergency Management
The Governor’s Division of Emergency Management (GDEM) has its origins in the civil defense programs established during World War II. The Division was co-located with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in 1963. After several name changes, the Texas Disaster Act of 1975 applied the Division’s current name.

GDEM is charged with carrying out a comprehensive all-hazard emergency management program for the State and assisting cities and counties and state agencies in implementing their own emergency management programs. A comprehensive emergency management program includes pre-and post-disaster mitigation of known hazards to reduce their impact; preparedness activities, such as emergency planning, training, and exercises; provisions for effective response to emergency situations; and recovery programs for major disasters.

The new facility will house representatives of the Recovery Section. When disasters occur of a magnitude that state and federal assistance might be needed, the Recovery Section coordinates damage surveys with local and federal agencies, prepares disaster declaration requests for the Governor's signature, and deploys staff to the affected area to coordinate the overall recovery process. The GDEM Recovery staff includes specialists who carry out disaster recovery programs for individual disaster victims and families (individual assistance) and aid local governments and public entities, such as schools districts and hospitals, (public assistance) with programs to repair or reconstruct facilities that were damaged or destroyed. The larger recover projects often take years to complete.