Let me thank the press for being here.
Y'all are so important during this
challenging time.
Commissioner and I just met with the team,
the Director, Administrator Criswell. She has years of experience
in dealing with disaster challenges.
We've shown her our needs.
We need affordable housing, we need vouchers,
but we've got to get the residents
register. We've had to get them to come forward
and
this operation this morning continues to get larger.
They're hanging out. Life support supplies,
water. Ice
Center Point's doing everything you can
turned on the power here this morning working across the
street.
I would caution everyone about our traffic lights.
We still have over 200 traffic lights.
We're doing a good job.
Tech Scott is partnering with us.
So you're going to see the improvement of traffic lights
but it is so dangerous to enter
this intersection certainly at night.
I would say continue to
try to stay away from the inclusion
area downtown. A lot of traffic backed up at the
lights.
So we're we're doing everything we can all the departments
public works is working on the lights
also sanitation started this week picking up
debris put your trees falling limbs out on the curb.
We've contracted with third parties to help us.
So we're in a can do let's get it done.
People are coming here for food water.
We're bringing all of our operations together.
This 9000 people in this quarter the county Judge Briones,
Tom Ramsey, Adrian has all been so supportive.
In fact this started with Commissioner Briones bringing this community
to our attention two days ago.
We have continued, this is not the only community that
needs
a special operation. Independence Hall on airline.
Most of you got to see how elaborated that is.
There's many issues we got to deal with after we
get through this crisis.
Absentee owners of these residents,
apartments, absentee managers, they just abandoned
their residents. We're going to deal with that.
There's been a lot of neglect for many years and
we're dealing with it.
As I stand before you.
I can't say enough for HPD Houston Fire.
They go to hours and hours of training and they're
using it to our benefit right now.
They need additional resources. We'll talk about that after we
get through
recovery. So I can't thank everyone enough.
Houston is showing what it does best.
It comes together. Look out for your family,
your neighbor, your pets, and
let's get back there. I I think we have to
be very mindful of our public school systems.
You know, Spring Branch is my model for how they
pulled it off
because of transportation concerns, damaged buildings.
They're using very good common sense and calling off schools
yesterday and today.
And I hope HIC will look at this model of
Spring Branch in Cypress
and other communities that realize when you're hungry,
you don't have electricity, you don't have water,
you're worried about your family
going to school is probably not in that category.
It's not, it's important, but we'll have time to educate
our kids when we get them their life support needs.
I want to yield to county Commissioner Brianna's,
who is just a full time partner with the city
of Houston and we're working with the county.
She's brought her resources from the unincorporated area into the
city,
and that's the kind of collaboration that's going to make
a difference.
Thank you, Mayor Whitmire. This is a true partnership between
the city of Houston and Harris County.
We're in Harris County Precinct 4,
one of the most severely impacted areas.
We are here on Pitner Road at the Boys and
Girls Club.
We were just meeting with the FEMA administrator,
Criswell. FEMA is here. We have a mobile FEMA site
right here.
The number one message for today is put in your
application as soon as possible.
Here are the numbers so that everyone has them.
Go to
disasterassistance.gov or call one 806,
two one FEMA, which is
3362. Or you can download the FEMA app.
Get that application is as soon as possible.
We also have mobile sites.
They are committed to getting this done together in partnership.
And what you see here is the power of government.
When we harness the power of local government with state
government and the federal government,
we can get more done for the people.
And so we're here, we have cooling sites open.
We have distribution sites across the city in the county.
This is one of many.
The reason we have triple down on this area is
that we know there's 900 children under the age of
five.
In this immediate area. We see newborn infants,
numerous pregnant women. We need to get this done together.
So thank you to Center Point,
HEB, Houston, Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club,
all of the partners. Any of you who are listening
who want to come,
this is an all hands on deck.
Muy brevemente en espanol a cavamos de tener una junta
Co la ministradora de FEMA quevino de Washington DC que
esta representano El Presidente Biden.
Aqui esta El condado Jerez E la Ciudad de Houston
Estamos aqui port pedner Rd.
en la ciudados.
Heres precinto cuatro El mensaje ES muy claro si tienen
dano a SU Casa SU de partamento si en perdido
comida sino tienen auer recursos.
Por favor, tienen que applicar applica NOI tenemos UN sitio
Modi de FEMA aquin El pitner Rd.
estamos aqui paros teres cius teres son una familia
inoto dos son ciudadanos estavien colavia pueden applicar por que
ci tieri uni ho por rejemplo que si ES sudano
si pueden applicar. Por favor.
Los numeros son El ochos Uno ocho ciento SES Los
Uno tres tres SES dos Uno
ocho ceros ceros Uno tres tres SES dos tamien disaster
assistance Punto Gov yaqui estamos in Spring branch Boys and
Girls Club.
What I added on in Spanish is that if you
are a family of mixed immigration status you can still
apply.
If you have a child,
that child can apply and potentially be eligible.
So please come forward. The federal,
state, local, county and city governments are here for you.
So thank you. Stay safe.
Come to our cooling centers.
Come to the distribution centers.
We're grateful for the partnership
for sure. If you have an emergency,
call 911. If you're in need of assistance.
It's not an emergency. Nature
311 Metro will take you to a cooling center.
I can't express enough the benefits of collaboration.
Working with the state of Texas,
we not only have DPS officers helping us with traffic
control.
Working with HPD,
the state emergency center had re
pre positioned 18 Wheelers with water,
food
and other necessities. Thank you the county,
the city, the social agencies,
the faith community. This is how we're going to get
through this disaster.
It was sudden. It was intense.
We prepare for hurricanes. In fact,
Thursday morning before it hit,
I was in a hurricane recovery planning session.
We left out of there thinking about hurricanes.
And about 6:00, this very unusual intense storm came through.
But we're responding. Look at the stakeholders and the resources
that we've pulled together.
Thank you for FEMA. Thanks for the state,
the county and all the stakeholders.
Let's go to work. We've got a lot to do,
especially specifically to the director of FEMA.
We told FEMA we need generators
for our housing, residences, repairs
first. We need FEMA to help us register the residents
to seek eligibility request. Delmar Stadium will be also a
location for northwest Houston for applicants.
Moody Park, Denver Harbor, the finding Recreation Center,
NE 5th Ward. We're doing everything we can to go
into the community.
We're actually going to have FEMA people going in to
the complexes to seek out people that need to apply
a mobile unit,
which is sitting right here on Pitner.
So what we need are resources.
We need federal cooperation Director.
Administrator Criswell has got years of experience,
so we're actually picking her mind and she's here with
her team
to make a difference. But we're
compared to where we were 48 hours ago.
Right here is a amazing story of cooperation,
collaboration. We've got bilingual workers.
We're going to continue to reach out and represent the
community.
We need the community to go,
to reach out and apply and ask for these resources.
So I think it's all hands on deck.
I couldn't be more pleased.
Could we do it better?
We can always improve and we will learn from this
experience.
I just said we prepare for hurricanes,
but we did not prepare
extensively for the suddenness of the storm that showed up
Thursday at 6:00.
I was up the street at Little League game.
We almost got blown away,
barely got home, and I know other the commissioners family
hid in a closet.
So we're walking the walk.
We understand the pain and discomfort,
but we're getting you the lifeline resources and we're not
going to rest to every Houstonian has an opportunity to
get back on their feet and be safe
and and enjoy the comforts that we were prior to
the storm.
Well certainly all of Houston concerns me on a public
safety standpoint but right now we're focusing on Northwest Houston
the commissioner's precinct that was particularly hard to hit through
the heights
right on down to the central business district in in
into the east side.
Some communities like southwest were blessed and did not get
hit with the intensity that the community that we're standing
in today.
So we're going to the most impactful communities the resources
are being redistributed.
Law enforcement was patrolling this unit last night to protect
the property
in the in the individuals
Houston fires got EMS pre position we're doing everything we
can this is the way Houston pulls together.
You
have an estimate about how
many people were affected not just because ma'am hundreds of
thousands if not a million plus
you know and I would reach out to the communities
that have not been as drastically impacted as these.
Every Houstonian needs to reach out to their friends and
family that are in the impact player.
Give of their donations, give up their contributions,
send us, their, their counselors,
the psychological counselling that these children and these families badly
needed.
We have a great community,
great city, great people. We're the Med center,
so we're pulling resources out of UT Health to help
people with psychological challenge.
This was this was extreme trauma for these families that
you talk with.
We want them to know we're here to serve
and we're doing it. As I stand here and get
wet,
I know there's so many messages we've shared.
The last message if you own any of the apartment
complexes that have been damaged and you are not honoring
your responsibility to your residence,
and if you are not following Texas law,
the city attorney's office, the county attorney's office in partnership
with the state of Texas,
we will be sure that justice is done.
So step up. Do what you're supposed to do.
We have been touring areas that do not have roofs
that do not have water,
and they're in unlivable conditions.
Follow the law, do what's right,
be a good neighbor in Stepa.
And so we have also asked in bueno espanol si
ustedes UN dueno reuna compania de una de estos de
parta mentos que anzo frido CNN que SE yir la
le yaser lo que escusto Y Rex
que necesita SER de bajo de la Ley sinolo ace.
Vamos a ver que Los aboados de la ciada Houston
E Los aboados El condado Jerez con El estados de
tejas.
Vamos a ver que justicias de ace,
pero mientras de nemos FIMA que Estadua no con dinero
Y ojala con vouchers para que la gente puedeni Rajun
lugar seguros para vivir nienteras.
Pero vamos a SER que la justicia
SE ace pada si que agan la
Cosa gusta por favo.
We know
we don't know what the total amount FEMA will give
Harris County in the city of Houston.
But what we do know is that if you apply
you may be eligible for
$750 in immediate assistance in addition to potential other benefits.
But we know people are hurting now
and immediately and so we're trying to address these urgent
needs.
So thank you and let me close by saying
the Kenner Institute gave a report yesterday,
their annual report. Public safety is still the number one
concern
of the majority of Houstonians.
The highest percentage of Houstonians said public safety.
We're addressing that during the storm,
During this disaster, HPD, collaborating with the DPS and other
agencies are patrolling our residency
complexes to the bad guys.
If you want to try to take advantage of this,
don't do it. We're watching.
We're prepared. Public safety is our still our top concern.
Partnering with our Houston Fire,
the public safety concerns is present.
Derek, can you address a
debris pickup? They're they're working.
I was in a briefing before I came here.
They're they're working around the clock.
They've got at least three outside contractors.
We're monitoring their work. We're partying with the county.
In fact, I know that the commissioners headed to a
debris collection location just to let let the workers know,
let me just say something to our city and county
workers,
the rank and file, we know how hard they're working.
They have families that they're concerned about their properties and
their welfare and health.
We understand it. Thank you to the rank and file.
Thank you to the directors at the emergency center,
I get hourly reports and we're doing the best we
can
and we've been trained for this and we're going to
get through this together and then we'll sit down,
do an assessment and we'll even improve going forward.
So I got to go to work from the county's
perspective.
We've activated our contractors. Meanwhile,
for example, the precinct court crew,
we've been out since Thursday night picking up debris.
We will not stop until we get it all done.
We're working in close, close collaboration.
This is amazing collaboration. We have our county Precinct 4
crews within the city actively picking up debris and we're
working with the contractors.
And so I'm actually my next stop is to go
thank the workers at the debris collection site.
So thank you for being here.
La Gente Tenemos Yellow Awa
Tenemos Yellow Awa Y Comida Aqui which has Gracias La
El Estado de Tejas Y FEMA Estan Aquillion and Boys
and Girls Club Aqui and Pitner
si en la ciada de Houston Y El conado jere
si que renita achese cuatro
de cinto cuatro de nemos todo nuestrositios,
pero teremos porajemplo en peyland
en Radek TI tambien aqui
CIS si ci tamiente nemos Centro de esta
de en fria miento tengo electricidad.
Because I still don't have,
she's asking me where can they go?
So here we have this site,
We have Bayland Community Center and we also have Radic
Community Center.
I still don't have electricity as well.
I know what folks are going through three little girls.
We also have cooling centers throughout Precinct 4,
throughout the county and throughout the city.
When you, when you're working so hard,
you forget what day of the week it is,
you know you're doing everything you can.
I got to get the council at 1:30 this afternoon.
I'm going to check in,
then I'm coming back out in the field.
So let's go to work.
Thank you all. We're in this together
Monday.
OK, Jose Los caneradores in propida mente de
del puebes. Esta esta esteria emos transportado emos terido,
mas de cien ya madas de
monocular carbono que son
que puebos de caso
que remos que El publico en tienda que
dos que nera dores que en esta dos pas de
vente pies de Las de Las de Las casas
que no Casa de en que no que no este
entrando.
Los Los humos El laidre adentro Las casas Nos en
Los Los queneradores adentro Las cocheras am quetenga Las Las
puertas abiertas ES muipa legrosso
aparteresso sinotin que estara fuera
La La temperatura. La medal esta muy alta
Y puede cosar problemas medicos
tome bastantiagua mantengas E ratalos este para seguardnos que este
este embien en estos tiempos
como eco El calde estamos nosotros preparados par respondent,
pero queremos avitar unas E mercencias
CE Amos tenido E mire ace El.
Dia a year yo Amos a cuatro ninos de Uno
nidal a
hospital a Casa de del
carbono. Monocular carbono ES ES ES MU peligroso este no
sebuele
inada, pero sabe que que que Casa Rona una mercencio
the emos emos de nido,
mas de ciena madas
emos de nido, mas de ciena madas de
Uno fio carbono. Este emos tenido una fatella,
ya ya una persona ya muerto Casa de ESO.
El dia de here cuatro ninos de Uno gar
por por intos. Caciones ES ES ES MU importante que
lucenesos quenerado ESA propriadamente
fuera mas vente pies de Las de Las casas.
Yes Sir, absolutely, absolutely. It's it's very important for us
to remember that you know,
what follows a storm is can also be hazardous and
and especially when we have
days on end without electricity,
people resort to generators. It's very important that those generators
are used
appropriately, right? At least 20 feet from the home.
Don't use them inside the garage,
even if your doors are open.
Since Thursday to today, we've had over 100 carbon monoxide
calls throughout the city.
We've already had one fatality,
and yesterday we transported four children from one home as
a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.
So it doesn't take long.
Yesterday, matter of fact, we were out here.
We had our inspectors doing knocking on doors to ensure
people were safe.
We noticed that generators were being used on the balconies.
So we've. Provided some instructions,
so so they can use them appropriately and safely.
We don't want to cause more,
more issues. What are some of
the signs that people have to watch out for
the carbon monoxide? Look, the signs of the signs of
carbon monoxide are if you start feeling dizzy,
if you start feeling fatigue,
if you start getting nausea past,
you know, losing consciousness is a late sign.
So again, just be cautious,
have a working carbon monoxide detector,
but be cautious with those generators and the fatality.
Yeah. Where was that change
in that, the fatality? The man was approximately his 60s.
I'll get you the exact location because I can't remember
off the top of my head,
but it was a gentleman in his 60s,
and yesterday it was four children that we transported to
the hospital.
Was it because they put him in
the garage? Yeah, they were using the generator right outside
the the front door.
And so the fumes are migrating inside the home.
They accumulate quickly and it can be lethal.
Children are doing well, but
well, we took him to the hospital.
I'm not sure of the status now,
but we took them and
and it was enough that of a concern and we
had to transport them to the hospital,
all four of them. The chief,
the mayor talked about having a medicine other personal station
across the city didn't elaborate more of that.
Say that again, The chief,
the mayor talked
about, Yeah,
look, absolutely. The mayor spoke about how many cooling centers
we have throughout the
throughout the city, distribution centers like we have here.
But much like the Police Department and that have people
assigned for security,
we're assigning personnel, supervisory personnel out there to maintain,
you know, just vigilance because what we don't want to
do is overwhelm the
911 system. If we can treat people here
a system and getting, you know,
back on their feet without having to transport them,
that's going to be the the objective.
So as of, for example,
today, we have a crew here,
state resources actually that we partnered through TDM that we
have a unit out here,
we have a fire department supervisor.
And again, they're just providing first aid on site,
right a lot, but that's also on top
of
the regular
call. Absolutely. How was your
department doing? They're stretched in,
much like the Police Department.
We're on the same calls they're stretched in over the
last couple days.
We've been over 50% of the regular call volume each
day.
And
the longer the power goes out,
the more issues we we will see,
right? So we're stretched in.
But look, I can't say enough about the work that
the men and women are doing,
the fire department are doing each and every day.
They're Houstonians too. They're being affected.
So it's impacting them personally.
But you know, the mission is 1st and they're doing
an outstanding job.
Are any, are any fire stations still
impacted? Yeah. We, we have 8
fire stations that are on generator power right now.
We had one station, station 39,
that was completely destroyed by the by the storm initially.
It has an impacted service in that area because what
we did is relocate those units.
But we're still serving all,
all parts of the city.
Yeah. All right. Thank you.
Thank you. Do you want to say anything?
Yes, Sir. Good morning. My name is Ray Leon.
I'm the commander of the Northwest Division with the Houston
Police Department.
I just want to say a few short words,
but I wanted to thank everybody who came out because
this was put together very quickly and as you can
see so far,
very big success and everything is going as planned.
First, thank you to the Boys and Girls Club for
allowing us to use their their property to do this.
Thank you to Commissioner Briones.
Thank you to FEMA for being here.
Chief Chief Saddlewhite was here earlier.
Chief Bainbridge with the Spring Branch ISD,
volunteered officers to come out and help secure the area,
secure all the vehicle traffic coming through.
So Many thanks to them.
We could not do this without them.
Obviously we are here to secure the area and make
sure everybody is safe.
But community outreach is one of the things that is
a focus of the Police Department.
It's one of my passions is making sure that we
help the community.
So in times like this,
especially in times of crisis,
I'm happy to be here.
We're all tired. We're all,
you know, sleep deprived. But this is the time when
we all step up and everybody does a great job,
So we appreciate it. The Boys and Girls Club got
power on this morning,
but there are still areas here that do not have
power.
Some of these apartment complexes across the street do not
have power.
So if anyone needs any assistance,
Boys and Girls Club Club is a cooling center.
We also set up a cooling center at 8500 Pittner,
about a three minute walk from here.
There are Metro buses, they're providing cooling centers as well.
So if anyone needs help,
please walk there. Come here if it's closer.
Thank you very much for the support.
We're going to be out here until they are done
giving out all the supplies and we could not do
this without the community.
So and all of the people that are here,
all the volunteers. So thank you very much Commander.
What has been like the,
the call volume like for the future I know that
you spoke
about is what what has it been like for you
guys?
Are you going on a lot of
heat related calls? We are going to those calls and
we're helping as much as we can.
You all know about the Independence Hall that the mayor
was at a couple of days ago.
We went out to every assisted living facility in this
area that we had.
Unfortunately, everyone was taken care of and being
cared for by the management.
So we are experiencing a high volume of calls for
service.
But when we have heat related issues,
medical issues, we asked HFD to come in to help.
We're assisting when we can.
At night the burglaries have gone up as expected,
but we have extra officers on patrol.
We've made a number of arrests,
so we're doing a great job on that as well.
When you get to that
looming because of these places that
don't have power, no, we have been charging them a
burglar of a building.
I don't know of any looting charges that have been
done.
We've had a couple of that were homeless people that
broke in,
but a little bit higher volume than what we're usually
seeing.
But most of them are just taking advantage of the
the power being out,
you know, these residential burglaries or business.
These are business burglaries. Gotcha.
And is it? It's concentrated on where the
place don't have power. Yes,
ma'am. And we're putting extra focus there,
extra officers. Chief Satterwhite's allowed other divisions to give us
their crime suppression teams.
Investigative divisions are putting officers on the street as well.
So we're saturating the areas,
especially that don't have power right now to try to
keep that from happening.
It's still happening, but we are catching a lot of
people.
So it's, it's working.
Yes. Thank you. Thank you very much.