Texas State Operations Center Receives Major Upgrade

aAUSTIN – On Wednesday a television news segment broadcast by the ABC affiliate in Austin, KVUE, showcased the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Operations Center (SOC) and included a guided tour of the rarely-seen center by Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd.The segment also spotlighted recent renovations that have increased seating for the Emergency Management Council inside the SOC to as many as 112 individuals; constructed additional conference rooms for breakout meetings; and installed programmable smart boards and LCD displays for immediate monitoring of incoming and changing information during a disaster.Regarding the news story and the renovated SOC, DPS Director Steven McCraw said:“Texas faces a full spectrum of threats – manmade and natural – and the state’s vast size, dynamic geography and large population present distinct challenges to public safety and homeland security. The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the State Operations Center, now with these new capabilities, leading-edge technology and expert staff, makes our state even better positioned to prepare for, respond to and recover from all emergencies, and most importantly, to keep our citizens safe.”To view the full video or online article, please visit http://www.kvue.com/news/Disaster-response-center-gets-major-upgrade-232574941.html.For more information about the Texas Division of Emergency Management or Texas State Operations Center, please see http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/index.htm.Tags: State Operations Center, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Division of Emergency ManagementCategory: Articles, Nationwide News