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UH, THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING AND BEING HERE FOR THE, UH, FIFA WORLD CUP PRESS CONFERENCE.
I'M WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON OUR PLANNING EFFORTS AND, UH, ACTIVITIES WE'VE BEEN DOING GETTING READY FOR THE WORLD CUP.
UM, SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR FOR THE LAST TWO PLUS YEARS.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE JUST STARTED A FEW MONTHS AGO.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING THE LAST TWO PLUS YEARS WORKING ON THIS.
THIS IS THE TYPE OF EVENT BEING THE WORLD'S LARGEST SPORTING EVENT THAT NO SINGLE JURISDICTION COULD DO ON THEIR OWN.
SO WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF OUR, UH, COUNTY PARTNERS, STATE PARTNERS, AND FEDERAL PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE A SAFE AND SECURE EVENT FOR HOUSTONIANS ATTENDING THE EVENT OR FOR PEOPLE COMING IN FROM OUTTA TOWN.
I'M NOT GONNA LIST OFF ALL THE PARTNERS UP HERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT UNIFORMS FROM THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO THE, UH, FROM HPD TO D-P-S-F-B-I.
WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTNERS UP HERE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER WITH OVER THE LAST TWO PLUS YEARS.
WE WANTED TO EMPHASIZE TO ALL OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY THAT THROUGH ALL OF OUR PLANNING, THIS HAS NOT BEEN PLANNING JUST FOR FIFA.
THIS HAS BEEN PLANNING FOR FIFA THROUGH THE LENS OF MAINTAINING OUR CORE SERVICES FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
SO EVERYTHING FROM, UH, OVER THE NEXT 39 DAYS WHEN THE EVENT STARTS, UM, WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE THINGS THAT MAY OCCUR IN HOUSTON.
WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE RAIN EVENTS.
IT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF HURRICANE SEASON.
WE COULD HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT COULD OCCUR.
SO ALL THROUGH ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR PLANNING EFFORTS, IT'S NOT ONLY BEEN FOCUSED ON FOCUSING ON PROVIDING A SAFE AND SECURE EVENT FOR FIFA, BUT IT'S REALLY BEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF MAINTAINING, ONCE AGAIN, OUR CORE SERVICES FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS AND EVERYBODY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
UM, THIS PRESS CONFERENCE IS MAINLY GONNA FOCUS ON, UH, UH, SAFETY AND SECURITY.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS UP HERE THAT MAY BE ABLE TO ASK SOME TRANSPORTATION QUESTIONS LATER.
BUT AS FAR AS TRANSPORTATION GOES, OBVIOUSLY WE ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO TAKE METRO, SO PEOPLE CAN GO TO RIDE METRO.ORG, UH, TO FIND OUT INFORMATION ON THEIR EXTENDED SERVICES AND THEIR SCHEDULES.
AND THEN, AS ALWAYS, AS HOUSTONIANS KNOW, WE CAN VISIT HOUSTON TRANS STAR AND GET A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT TRAFFIC AND ROAD CONDITIONS AT THAT TIME.
SO THAT'S JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW, OPENING REMARKS.
NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER TO GIVE SOME REMARKS AS WELL.
AND THANK EVERYONE FOR COVERING THIS SIGNIFICANT PRESS CONFERENCE.
UH, AS YOU LOOK AT THE GROUP THAT IS ASSEMBLED BEHIND ME, THEY'RE PROFESSIONAL.
THEY'RE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD.
THEY TRAIN EACH AND EVERY DAY.
THEY MOTIVATE THEIR RANK AND FILE, AND THEY PROTECT HOUSTONIANS.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, OUR REGION EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AS EVERYONE KNOWS, PUBLIC SAFETY IS MY HIGHEST PRIORITY.
TWO YEARS AGO, I RODE THE STREETS OF HOUSTON WITH THE POLICE CHIEF, AND I CONTINUE THAT PRACTICE.
TO THIS DAY, PUBLIC SAFETY WAS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY BEFORE FIFA, DURING FIFA, AND IT'LL BE AFTER FIFA, BUT IT'S MUCH MORE THAN JUST LAW AND ORDER.
IT'S PUBLIC HEALTH, IT'S TRANSPORTATION, IT'S COLLABORATION WITH OUR STATE PARTNERS.
THERE'S JUST SO MUCH GOES INTO CITY OPERATIONS, AND WE'RE AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER TODAY, WHICH WILL BE THE NERVE CENTER EACH AND EVERY DAY, BUT CERTAINLY DURING FIFA.
SO IT IS GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT EVENT.
IT'S BEEN, CERTAINLY BUILD IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST SPORTS EVENTS, AND I THINK HOUSTONIANS ARE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
IT WILL BE A FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO THE CITY IN TERMS OF SALES TAX, HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX, BUT ALSO OUR BRAND.
BUT WE ALREADY HAVE AN OUTSTANDING BRAND DUE TO SUPER BOWLS BEING HELD HERE.
FINAL FOURS, THE RODEO, THE TEXANS, I CAN GO ON AND ON.
SO IT'S SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR, YOUR FAMILY, AND LET'S HAVE A GREAT TIME.
I WILL ALLOW THE PROFESSIONALS TO DESCRIBE WHAT THEIR PARTICULAR SERVICES ARE.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE IN PREPARATION, SUCH AS THE DRONE SURVEILLANCE AND DRONE PROTECTION THAT YOU PROBABLY WON'T GET TOTAL COVERAGE BECAUSE WE HAVE HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR HERE.
BUT THE COLLABORATION IS OUTSTANDING, AND I CAN ASSURE HOUSTONIANS THAT THEIR SAFETY IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES, BUT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR GUESTS
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THAT VISIT OUR CITY.I THINK TALKING TO FIFA, MOST OF THE TICKETS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED BY DOMESTIC US CITIZENS FROM ACROSS OUR GREAT COUNTRY THAT'LL BE TRAVELING HERE.
SO I WILL YIELD AT THIS TIME, AND, UH, WE'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE QUESTIONS AS WE GO FURTHER, WE'LL HAVE DIRECTOR OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO SPEAK TO ANY HEALTH CONCERNS.
CERTAINLY AIRPORT OPERATIONS WILL BE DISCUSSED, BUT REALLY THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO YOUR JOB AND SHARE WITH YOU, ESTONIANS IS FINE, LINEUP OF PROFESSIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
OKAY, UP NEXT WE'LL BE CHIEF NOE DIAZ WITH HPD.
HPD IS THE LEAD LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY DOING ALL THE COORDINATION DOWN HERE IN HOUSTON FOR THE WORLD CUP.
THANK YOU FIRST TO OUR PARTNERS IN THE MEDIA FOR COMING HERE AND COVERING THIS EVENT.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US THAT WE GET THE RIGHT INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY, UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S BEEN A TWO YEAR PROCESS TO GET US TO THIS POINT.
WE'RE SUPER EXCITED FOR THE WORLD CUP.
THE MATCHES WILL OCCUR ON THE FIELDS, BUT THE LEGACY FOR THIS EVENT WILL BE THE COLLABORATION, THE PREPAREDNESS THAT WE HAVE, AND THE FLOOR THAT PEOPLE, OR NOT THE FLOOR, BUT THE SPACE THAT THE WORLD WILL SEE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE HAVE SPENT, I, I SAID TWO YEARS, AND WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO THE SHORT GO NOW.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE COMMUNITY, FOCUSED ON THE CONTINUITY OF SERVICES AS WELL, SO THAT PEOPLE REALIZE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STILL DO OUR BUSINESS BEFORE THE FIFA STUFF.
SO WE'LL STILL CALL OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE WILL STILL WORK.
OUR OUR FIRE SERVICES WILL STILL WORK, ET CETERA.
THERE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT OF TRAFFIC INVOLVED WITH THE PROCESS OF HAVING THESE GAMES HERE, BUT WE DO THIS ON A DAILY BASIS.
I THINK WE HAVE THE BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTRY DOING THIS EVENTS.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN, AND WE'RE PREPARED TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY AS WE HAVE BEEN WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE BUREAU WITH THE STATE POLICE, THE, THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THE DRONE OPERATIONS.
WE DO HAVE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS INVOLVED.
UH, MOST OF THAT STUFF IS KEPT FROM THE COMMUNITY AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF, OF, OF INFORMATION THAT WE DON'T SHARE JUST FOR SAFETY, BUT WE DO NEED THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE US AWARE.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY OR EXTRAORDINARY THAT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, THAT DOES, MAKES YOU FEEL, UH, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK, PLEASE LET SOMEBODY KNOW, CALL 9 1 1 OR NOTIFY US ON OUR NON-EMERGENCY LINES SO THAT WE CAN, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INVOLVED, ENGAGED, AND MAKE EVERYBODY'S EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY THE WORLD OUR VISITORS COMING IN.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UH, UP NEXT WILL BE THE FIRE AND MEDICAL LEAD, UH, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF TOM MUNOZ.
AS MAYOR WHITMEYER MENTIONED, THIS IS A WORLD EVENT, NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT SINCE WE FOUND OUT WHERE WE WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING THIS EVENT HERE, WE HAD STARTED PREPARING ALL HANDS ON DECK FROM THE FIRE SIDE, ALONG WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE'VE HAD, COVERING EVERY ASPECT OF EMS AND FIRE SERVICES, ALONG WITH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE GONNA BE WORKING WITH US SIDE BY SIDE TO ENSURE A SAFE EVENT.
ALONG WITH THAT, JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT ON TOP OF ALL THE PLANNING THAT WE DO, YEARLY, HURRICANES, WEATHER FLOODING, THIS IS ANOTHER EVENT THAT WE PREPARE FOR.
WE'RE ALSO HAVING LOST SIGHT, AND WE'RE STILL SIMULTANEOUSLY PLANNING AND STILL FINALIZING THE PLANNING FOR THE 4TH OF JULY THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING.
SO WE'RE GONNA SWITCH FROM ONE EVENT TO ANOTHER, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT OUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN WORKING EXTREMELY HARD TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS A SAFE EVENT, WORLD-CLASS EVENT.
AS WE KNOW, WE'RE GONNA PUT, NO STONE HAS BEEN LEFT UNTURNED, EVERYTHING'S BEEN COVERED.
WE LOOKED AT THE HISTORY OF WHAT'S HAPPENED BEFORE WE TOOK HIS LESSONS LEARNED AND TOOK THAT AND CAPTURED THOSE SO WE COULD HAVE A SAFE EVENT.
LOOKING FORWARD TO A SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
UP NEXT, WE'LL BE, UH, CHIEF LARRY SATTERWHITE WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY.
UM, SO AS WE SAID, IT'S A MAJOR COLLABORATION TO ENSURE EVERYBODY'S SAFETY AND IT'S A GREAT EVENT.
WE DO NOT WANT TO BE THE STORY.
WE WANT THE STORY TO BE THAT THE PUBLIC HAD A GREAT TIME THAT THE CITY SHINED, THE REGION SHINED, AND, AND EVERYBODY HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, AND OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES WE ALWAYS HAVE CAN BE, UH, LANGUAGE TRANSLATION AND, AND BARRIERS, BECAUSE THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA COME IN TO ENJOY IT, AND WE WANT THEM, WE WANT
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EVERYBODY TO COME TO OUR CITY AND HAVE A GREAT TIME.BUT IF THEY NEED TO CALL BECAUSE THEY SEE SOMETHING OR, OR THEY NEED OR HELP FOR ANY REASON, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THEIR CALLS AND THAT WE CAN RESPOND TO THEM, GET TO THEM AND GET RESOLVED.
WHATEVER ISSUE THEY MAY BE EXPERIENCING OR WHETHER THEY MAY BE SEEING, UH, SIMPLY PUT, A LOT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PHONE LINES, DIFFERENT KINDS OF EMERGENCY NUMBERS.
IT'S NOT 1 9 1 1, UH, ACROSS THE PLANET.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO INGEST THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURE THEIR NUMBERS AND, UH, AND TO RESPOND TO THEM AND DEAL WITH THAT.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE FANTASTIC PEOPLE.
WE'RE GONNA BE FULLY STAFFED WORKING 12 HOUR SHIFTS, UH, UNDER DIRECTOR JACKSON'S, UH, LEADERSHIP, UH, HERE AT THE HAG TO TAKE ON ALL THOSE CALLS AND EVERY SEAT'S GONNA BE FILLED, AND SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND.
UH, WE'LL ALSO, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR SERVICES, UH, BETWEEN OUR VENDORS, UH, VERIZON, AT AND T, UH, T-MOBILE, ALL OF THEM.
THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THIS PROBLEM AGAIN, BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE IN COMMUNICATION FLOWS FREELY THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND AND, AND IDENTIFY WHAT PROBLEMS MIGHT BE AND RESOLVE THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE ARE LEANING HEAVILY INTO THAT WITH ALL KINDS OF TECHNOLOGY AND PEOPLE.
THE BEST PART, BEING THE PEOPLE.
NOW ON THE HOMELAND SECURITY FRONT, UH, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CURRENT MAJOR THREATS.
UH, I'M TALKING TO MY PARTNERS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
THEY'RE IN THE AUDIENCE AND THEY'RE BEHIND US, UH, AS WELL AS OUR STATE AND, AND LOCAL.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY CURRENT THREATS AND, BUT OBVIOUSLY OUR BIGGEST, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF PARTNERS BEHIND US AND IN FRONT OF US THAT ARE GONNA BE WORKING TO MAKE THIS THING SAFE.
PROBABLY ONE OF OUR BIGGEST, UH, PARTNERS THAT WE WANT TO LEVERAGE IS YOU THE PUBLIC.
UH, WHILE WE ARE GONNA BE EVERYWHERE, BOTH IN PLAIN CLOTHES AND IN UNIFORM AND DOING ALL KINDS OF THINGS THERE, WE WILL NOT BE AT EVERY CORNER.
I MEAN, NOT BE AT, AT EVERY LITTLE PLACE.
YOU THE PUBLIC ARE OUR BIGGEST FORCE MULTIPLIER.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, IF YOU SEE ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, MAKE THE CALL.
IF IT'S NOTHING, WE'LL RESOLVE THAT.
WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT.
BUT PLEASE, WE DO COUNT ON YOU TO TELL US IF YOU SEE SOMETHING GOING WRONG OR SEE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL EVENT FOR EVERYBODY, UH, THAT COMES TO HOUSTON FOR, UH, FIFA WORLD CUP.
UH, UP NEXT WILL BE DR. THERESA TRAN WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY SYSTEM HERE IN HOUSTON STANDS READY FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS.
UH, ALONG WITH THE REST OF MAYOR JOHN WHITTIER'S ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH EACH OTHER, BOTH AT THE CITY AND THE ADMINISTRATION, AND WITH OUR PARTNERS IN HEALTHCARE AND AT THE COUNTY AND REGIONALLY AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND FEDERALLY, THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE DO IN PUBLIC HEALTH IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE DURING LARGE EVENTS LIKE THIS, OUR BUILD AND SCALE UPON SYSTEMS THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE, EVEN IN NORMAL BLUE SKY TIMES.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE'VE DONE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE BUILT UP OUR LABORATORY CAPACITY, OUR DISEASE SURVEILLANCE CAPACITY FOR MONITORING THE AIR AROUND YOU AND THE WASTEWATER IN THE GROUND BENEATH YOU FOR DISEASES.
AND WE'RE DOING DISEASE AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE WITH THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO CATCH DISEASE THREATS BEFORE THEY EVEN HAPPEN.
AND THOSE ARE, UH, THINGS THAT WE DO WITH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SYSTEMS IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN SCALE UP AND BE READY TO RESPOND.
THE OTHER PART OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS, OF COURSE, PREVENTION.
AND, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANT THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF DURING BIG EVENTS LIKE THIS ARE THE, ARE HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES, UM, FOODBORNE ILLNESSES AND VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES.
AND SO FOR HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE STAYING HYDRATED.
IF YOU'RE STARTING TO FEEL WEAK OR TIRED, DEHYDRATED, OR HAVING CRAMPS, GET YOURSELF INTO A PLACE OF SAFETY, WHICH IN OUR CASE IS SOMEWHERE WITH AIR CONDITIONING OR, AND SHADE, AND GET HYDRATED AND CALL FOR HELP.
UH, CHECK IN ON YOUR NEIGHBORS.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE CHECKING IN ON YOUR BABIES AND YOUR PETS AS WELL.
UH, AS FAR AS FOODBORNE ILLNESSES AND, UH, VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES, HYGIENE IS STILL KEY.
KEEP YOUR WASHING YOUR HANDS IF YOU'RE FEELING ILL.
BE CONSIDERATE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS AND BE CONSIDERATE OF EVERYBODY ELSE AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT TAKE PLACE AND, AND THAT YOU ENGAGE IN.
AND THEN THE LAST, UH, SCHEDULED SPEAKER WE HAVE IS, UH, JOHN KAIN.
HE IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS FOR THE LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE WITH FIFA.
UH, JUST LIKE ANY MAJOR SPORTING EVENT IN HOUSTON OR HARRIS COUNTY, YOU WANNA PLAN AHEAD.
WHETHER YOU'RE PLANNING TO ATTEND MATCHES DOWN AT NRG STADIUM OR OUR FIFA FAN FESTIVAL IN EAST DOWNTOWN, YOU'LL BE FIND, YOU'LL FIND COMPREHENSIVE KNOW BEFORE YOU GO, INFORMATION ON FWC 26 HOUSTON.COM, BOTH FOR MATCH ATTENDEES AND FAN FESTIVAL ATTENDEES, UH, CLEAR BAG POLICIES, UH, PROHIBITED ITEMS, ALL OF THE KEY INFORMATION THAT
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YOU'LL NEED TO KNOW TO ENSURE THAT YOUR ARRIVAL TO THE EVENT BOTH SITES, UH, IS SEAMLESS AND NOT DELAYED.THIS IS A FANTASTIC, UH, SPORTING EVENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AGAIN, YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHETHER YOU'RE LOCAL OR IN FROM OUT OF TOWN IS, IS FIRST AND FOREMOST ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE SAFE AND SECURE.
AND AGAIN, OUR PARTNERS BEHIND US HAVE DISCUSSED THE STEPS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO MAKE SURE THAT'S THE CASE FOR THE FAN FESTIVAL AND EAST DOWNTOWN.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE, AGAIN, PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION ON FWC 26 HOUSTON.COM.
WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS THAT ARE DRIVING THEIR PERSONAL VEHICLES TO UTILIZE ANY OF THE PARKING LOTS AND THE IMMEDIATE E IDO VICINITY OR IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
OUR PARTNERS AT DOWNTOWN HOUSTON HAVE A PRETTY INCREDIBLE VIA FOOTBALL PROJECT THAT IS A SAFE PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS, PRIMARILY FROM RUS STREET DOWNTOWN OVER TO EAST DOWNTOWN.
TO ACCESS THE EVENT, THE FIFA FAN FESTIVAL WILL HAVE TWO ENTRANCES, ONE ON POLK STREET AND ONE ON WALKER STREET.
DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU PARK OR WHERE YOU ARRIVE, YOU WILL BE DIRECTED VIA SIGNAGE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT TO ONE OF THOSE ENTRANCES.
WE OBVIOUSLY WANNA THANK OUR PARTNERS AT METRO.
THEY WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN MOVING FANS, NOT ONLY TO THE STADIUM VIA THE RED LINE, BUT ALSO TO IDO VIA THE PURPLE AND GREEN LINES.
AGAIN, THERE ARE PLENTY OF CONVENIENT AND RELIABLE OPTIONS TO GET TO THE FAN FESTIVAL AND GET TO THE MATCH VENUE, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE THEM.
UM, ONE FINAL NOTE I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS, UH, US THANK YOU TRUTHFULLY TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING PARTNERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, UM, FOR EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING FOR THIS EVENT, UH, BUT ALSO FOR EVERYTHING THEY DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF FIFA AND BEHALF OF THE HOST COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT AND THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT OVER THE NEXT 50 SOME ODD DAYS AS WE GET READY TO HOST THE WORLD FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
SO IT COULD BE FOR CHIEF DIAZ OR MAYOR MEYER.
YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON PUBLIC SAFETY IN THESE, IN THESE AREAS FOR THESE GAMES.
BUT WITHOUT TRYING TO PUT SOME MUCH STRAIN ON THE RESPONSE THAT WILL BE IN HOUSTON.
SO COULD YOU MAYBE GET INTO SOME MECHANISMS THAT ARE IN PLACE? YEAH, THE CHIEF, BUT LET ME EMPHASIZE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MAJOR EVENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND SO PART OF THE PLAN THAT WE'VE CARRIED OUT FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS IS COLLABORATION, COLLABORATION WITH OUR COUNTY PARTNERS, OUR STATE, THE FEDERAL AGENCIES.
I'LL LET THE CHIEF SPEAK, BUT, UH, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK ON A DAILY BASIS.
UH, WE WOULD NOT EVER COMPROMISE HOUSTONIAN SAFETY FOR ANY EVENT.
CERTAINLY FIFA, THE RODEO FINAL FOUR, WE HAD THE BEST MONTHS IN OUR HISTORY THIS SPRING WITH ALL THE ACTIVITIES DOWNTOWN.
YOU'LL GO LOOK AT DISCOVERY GREEN.
IT'S AS SAFE AND BUSY AS EVER, BUT ALSO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND LET ME ALSO MENTION SOMETHING THAT GOES IN NOT ONLY TO JUST THIS ACTIVITY, BUT ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE'VE SWORN IN 800, 800 ADDITIONAL AP HPD OFFICERS SINCE I WAS SWORN IN 600 FIREFIGHTERS.
SO THE CITY, UH, COVERAGE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING AND IT WILL NOT, UH, BE IMPACTED BY THIS EVENT.
BUT WE ALSO, AS I MENTIONED, THE COLLABORATION, WE WANT TO THANK, UH, TRAFFIC CONTROL ENFORCEMENT WITH OUR STATE TROOPERS, OUR CONSTABLES, AND OUR SHERIFFS, AND REALLY THE REGION.
BUT CHIEF DIAZ, WHY DON'T YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OPERATION? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO THE MAYOR COVERED THAT WE ARE ALL HANDS ON DECK.
EVERYONE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING IN EVERY ASPECT OF IT.
BUT WE DO HAVE CONTINGENCY PLANS WITHIN OUR OPERATION TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STATIONS ARE WELL COVERED.
OUR, OUR, OUR STAFFING NUMBERS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT.
IF WE SEE THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE ANTICIPATED FLOW OF PEOPLE TO OUR EVENTS, OUR FAN FEST, ET CETERA, ON, ON MATCH DAYS, THEN WE PLAN TO BE VERY FLUID WITH THE NUMBER OF STAFFING THAT WE HAVE SO WE CAN ADJUST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CONTINUITY OF SERVICE DOESN'T CHANGE, SO THAT IF YOU CALL FROM THE WEST SIDE OFF OF KIRKWOOD, THAT THE POLICE RESPONSE IS GONNA BE TIMELY AND ACCURATE AND APPROPRIATE.
SO FOR US, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS FOCUS, LIKE THE MAYOR JUST SAID, EVERY DAY IS A FEFA DAY FOR US AS FAR AS PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL POLICE SERVICES.
AND WE ANTICIPATE NOTHING DIFFERENT TO CHANGE.
AND, AND WE ALSO PLAN, AS THE CHIEF SAID, FOR CONTINGENCIES FOR THE UNEXPECTED.
DURING BARREL, WE WENT TWO WEEKS WITHOUT POWER.
WE HAD NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE DARK.
SO WHAT DID WE DO? WE REACHED OUT
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TO OUR STATE EMERGENCY CENTER WHO GOT US ADDITIONAL, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM AROUND THE STATE.UH, WHEN IT COMES TO EMS, WE'VE LEASED 50 ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES FOR THIS EVENT.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE PLANNING, UH, FOR A VERY ORDERLY, FUN TIME.
I CAN'T KEEP FROM ASKING EVERYONE TO PARTICULARLY WATCH JULY 4TH, RIGHT? THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR NATION, 250, WHAT PERFECT TIMING FOR US TO BE HAVING THIS EVENT, NOON GAME AT NRG.
THEN WE'LL ALL MOVE DOWN TO THE FAN FEST.
THERE'LL BE A GAME IN PHILADELPHIA AT FOUR, WE'LL HAVE A LARGE SCREEN FOR OUR SOCCER FANS TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE NATIONAL EVENTS, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO FREEDOM OVER TEXAS.
OBVIOUSLY, GAMES LEADING UP TO THAT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT AS WELL.
ANYONE ELSE? I'M NOT SURE WHO THIS QUESTION IS FOR SPECIFICALLY, BUT CAN SOMEONE TALK SPECIFICALLY TO THE PERIMETER AND KIND OF THE MEASURES THAT WILL BE IN PLACE, SPECIFICALLY AT THE STADIUM AND ALSO IN REGARDS TO SECURITY AND TRANSPORTATION, OR BOTH? UH, YES, SECURITY, THE PERIMETER SETUP AND, AND WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE, HOW FAR OUT IT MAKES, AND FROM THE STADIUM YOU TALK ABOUT.
PLEASE, JOHN, ANY OF YOU? ANYBODY GO AHEAD.
YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX FOR US.
SO, UH, VERY SIMILAR TO A FINAL FOUR COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF OR SUPER BOWL, THERE WILL BE AN ENHANCED SECURE PERIMETER AROUND, UH, NRG PARK IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING PERIMETER FENCE AT THE PARK, WHICH IS EXTENSIVE AND HAS ACTUALLY BEEN RENOVATED.
UM, OVER THE LAST YEAR, FIFA WILL DEPLOY A EIGHT FOOT TALL ANTI-CRIME CONCRETE REINFORCED FENCE, UM, AROUND THE, UH, PROPERTY.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY CONTROL DIFFERENT PEDESTRIAN PEDESTRIAN SCREENING LOCATIONS.
SO SAFETY AND SECURITY CHECK, RIGHT, UH, METAL DETECTORS, BAG CHECKS, UM, AT A PUSHED OUT PERIMETER AROUND THE EVENT.
AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU WOULD'VE SEEN FOR PREVIOUS MAJOR EVENTS DOWN AT NRG PARK.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUCH AN EXPANSIVE FACILITY THAT HAS SUCH A, UH, LARGE FOOTPRINT, UM, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PUSH THAT FENCE OUT, UH, WITHOUT COMPROMISING PARKING OR OPERATIONS AT THE PARK.
SO AGAIN, BALANCING SAFETY AND SECURITY WITH BEING ABLE TO PUT THE EVENT ON IN THE BEST LIGHT POSSIBLE.
JOHN, IS THAT BEING SECURED AHEAD OF TIME? SAY FOR INSTANCE, AT ATT STADIUM DOWN, YOU KNOW, LOCKED DOWN DAYS AHEAD? YES.
IS THIS CITY BEING LOCKED DOWN ANOTHER TIME? IT, IT, IT'S ALREADY SOMEWHAT LOCKED DOWN NOW.
FIFA'S FULL LOCKDOWN WILL GO INTO EFFECT THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH, UM, WHERE ALL OF THE SCREENING LOCATIONS AND EXCESS PROTOCOLS WILL BE, UM, AS LOCKED DOWN, UH, AS POSSIBLE JUNE 4TH THROUGH OUR FINAL MATCH ON JULY 4TH.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EMERGENCY ALERT I SEE BEHIND YOU? SO HOW ARE YOU, THE TEXT, HOW, HOW ARE YOU NOTIFYING PEOPLE WHEN SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN, SAY THEY'RE AT FAN FEST OR AT THE STADIUM? SO WE HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS HERE IN HOUSTON.
SO NUMBER ONE, FOR LOCAL HOUSTONIANS, WE HAVE OUR ALERT, UH, HOUSTON SYSTEM.
SO YOU CAN TEXT ALERT HOUSTON ALL ONE WORD TO THE 8 8 8 7 7 7.
AND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO GIVE YOU JUST GENERAL HOUSTON WIDE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION.
THE ONE THAT'S SPECIFIC FOR THE EVENT, H-O-U-W-C 26.
THOSE ARE FOR PEOPLE THAT JUST WANT FIFA RELATED MESSAGING.
SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU LIVE IN THE CYPRESS AREA AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIFA AND YOU DON'T WANT TO GET FIFA INFORMATION, WE'RE NOT GONNA BLAST YOU WITH A BUNCH OF FIFA INFORMATION.
BUT IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY FROM OUT OF TOWN THAT'S ONLY GONNA BE HERE FOR FIFA AND YOU WANT JUST THAT SPECIFIC MESSAGING, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR IT.
SO IT COULD BE THINGS LIKE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING IN THE AREA.
WE MAY LET PEOPLE KNOW, YOU KNOW, MONITOR THE WEATHER, BE PREPARED TO, WE MAY HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN FAN FEST IF WE HAVE LIGHTNING STRIKES WITHIN THE AREA, IF, HEAVEN FORBID WE HAVE HAVE A TROPICAL CYCLONE OR SOMETHING SPIN UP IN THE GULF.
THAT WAY WE'RE ABLE TO PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE BOTH LOCALLY WHO NORMALLY SIGN UP FOR OUR ALERT HOUSTON, OR VISITORS THAT ARE COMING IN TOWN THAT WANNA JUST SIGN UP FOR FIFA RELATED MESSAGING.
CAN Y'ALL SHARE MORE ABOUT THE DRONE OPERATION? PERHAPS CHIEF WICK COULD JUST SOME INFORMATION ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE LOOK ACROSS THE GLOBE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
I KNOW THAT THE, THE PARTNERS BEHIND WE'RE, WE HAVE EXTRA TRAINING, WE HAVE EXTRA EQUIPMENT.
THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT AS FAR AS I'M GONNA GO WITH THAT.
UH, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE DEFINITELY LEANING INTO EVERYTHING, TRYING TO ENSURE A SAFE AND EVENT, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD'S CHANGING AND WE HAVE TO CHANGE WITH IT.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO PIVOT WITH THAT.
AND SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
AGAIN, THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, EFFORT.
EVERYBODY IS INVOLVED, EVERYBODY'S WORKING.
AND AGAIN, I WILL SAY I COUNT ON YOU AS THE PUBLIC.
WE COUNT ON YOU AS PUBLIC TO ALSO, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW IF YOU SEE ANYTHING.
AND WOULD THAT BE ACROSS THE CITY OR JUST THE ENERGY, THE HAWAIIAN CITY, HOUSTON, WE ARE, WE'RE WORKING ALL OF WHAT THE VENUES, EVERYTHING ACROSS THE CITY.
WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, YOU KNOW, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
AND I WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF SPEAKING FOR, FOR MY PARTNERS BACK HERE, LIKE CHIEF DIAZ AND, AND, AND
[00:25:01]
OF COURSE, UM, MATE, UH, UH, CHIEF DIAZ FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.SO, UH, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THEM AND LET THEM SPEAK MORE.
I CAN ONLY ADD THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IT.
WE HAVE A HEAVY FOOTPRINT WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE FBI.
SO WE DO HAVE THE CAPABILITIES, BUT WE USE DRONES EVERY DAY.
THIS IS A VERY MODERN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'RE WELL FUNDED, UH, BECAUSE OF THE MAYOR, AND WE ARE FOCUSED ON YOUR SAFETY.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN USE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE MOTORING PUBLIC ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ET CETERA, IN WHEREVER YOU LIVE ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY, YOU HAVE COVERAGE.
AND WE USE THOSE KINDS OF, UH, TECHNICAL EXPERTISE WITH THE RIGHT STAFF TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE SAFE, UH, WHERE WE CAN, WHERE WE CAN.
THE DRONES ARE ALWAYS WEATHER RELATED TOO.
SO IF THERE'S WEATHER, THEY DON'T WORK AS GOOD, BUT WE'RE FOCUSED ON YOUR SAFETY ALL THE TIME.
JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I'M SORRY, I MORE QUESTION.
'CAUSE THE FBI DIRECTOR HAS GONE ON NATIONAL MEDIA, RIGHT? HE'S TALKED ABOUT THE THREAT AND CONCERNS ABOUT DRONES AT THESE EVENTS.
I KNOW DPS PUT OUT INFORMATION ABOUT SOME SPECIAL MITIGATION TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY HAVE.
CAN YOU TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE LOCAL, LIKE WHAT THE TECHNOLOGY LOOKS LIKE AND, AND WHAT THE THREAT ACTUALLY MAY BE? WELL, AGAIN, THAT'S, I WON'T SHARE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT SENSITIVE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE BAD GUYS TO KNOW WHAT OUR CAPABILITIES ARE.
BUT YOU MENTIONED DPS AND I WANT TO THANK THE COLONEL DIRECTLY 'CAUSE HE WILL BE SENDING UP TO 200 TROOPERS EVERY GAME DAY HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT'LL HELP US WITH TRAFFIC ON THE GROUND AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT AS FAR AS THE DRONE SITUATION IS CONCERNED, UH, WE, WE HAVE IT COVERED.
IF YOU DO WANT TO FLY YOUR OWN PERSONAL DRONE, I'D SUGGEST YOU DON'T BECAUSE OF IT'S, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE, WE DON'T WANT ONE TO FALL.
WE DON'T WANT, UH, A MINOR CHILD TO USE ONE, MAKE A MISTAKE, AND IT LAND ON SOMEONE.
SO AS FAR AS ANY THREAT MITIGATION IS ALREADY IS HANDLED ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE HAVE MEETINGS ABOUT FIFA PROBABLY FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
SO WE'RE PREPARED WITH RESPECT TO THE DRONES.
ONE IS, YOU MENTIONED JUST THE ALL STAFF, ALL HANDS ON DECK NATURE OF THIS.
ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM OTHER FOLKS INVOLVED WITH PUTTING THE WORLD CUP TOGETHER IS THE LONGEVITY OF THIS, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THREE WEEKS OF OPERATIONS, RIGHT? AND AS SAMIR WHITMEYER ALLUDED TO, KIND OF A BIG FINISH ON JULY BOARD MM-HMM
UM, WHAT IS THE STRAIN LIKE THAT GONNA BE ON THE CASE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN TERMS LONGEVITY? AND AS A QUICK FOLLOW UP, I THINK YOU GIVE THE LATEST UPDATES ON WHAT THE ICE PRESENCE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
WELL, FOR US, UH, I ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION.
THE STRAIN HAPPENS TO US EVERY DAY.
WE'RE TOUGH, WE'RE TOUGH PEOPLE HERE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE REAL GOOD AT THE HARD THINGS.
SO WE ARE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SAFE AGAIN.
LIKE I, NOT TO BE REDUNDANT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S OUR PRIMARY GOAL.
SO WE ARE, UH, MEETING CONFERRING, NOT JUST LIKE CHIEF SATTERWHITE SAID, WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY, WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS, WITH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS IN AN OPERATIONAL CAPACITY.
UH, AS FAR AS ANY KIND OF, UH, YOU, YOU'VE MENTIONED, UH, THE IMMIGRATION, THAT'S NOT, NOT A CONCERN FOR US, UM, IN ANY CAPACITY.
SO WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE EVENTS ARE SAFE.
THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO AND FROM THE SUBURBS INTO OUR COMMUNITY ON A DAILY BASIS ARE FOCUSED ON HELPING US HELP THEM SO WE CAN HAVE A GREAT EVENT.
UH, 30 TO 30 DAYS IS A LONG DAY, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE USED TO RODEO, RIGHT? RODEO'S HERE.
I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REMEMBER, WE HAVE A FANTASTIC PRIDE PARADE ON SATURDAY, SO MAKE SURE IF YOU COME, COME OUT.
SO WE'RE FOCUSED ON EVERY SINGLE THING THAT HAPPENS IN OUR CITY ON A DAILY BASIS.
YOU SAID THAT IMMIGRATION ISN'T A CONCERN.
IF WE CAN PUT A FINER POINT ON IT.
ARE YOU IN COMMUNICATION WITH ICE? WHAT IS, ARE THEY PLANNING ON ANY SORT OF IMMIGRATION RAIDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? NO, NO, AND NO FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
QUESTION, UH, CHIEF OZ, UM, HOW OF DR. DAVID PER YOU GUYS PLANNING FOR THIS EVENT AT ALL? WELL, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, DR.
PER IS INSTRUMENTAL, BUT YOU KNOW, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS, WE DID HAVE THAT SUCCESSION PLAN.
ALL OUR DOCTORS THAT WE HAVE ON STAFF, WE'RE PLANNING SIDE BY SIDE WITH DR.
PER, ALONG WITH DR. TRAN, AND ALL THE HEALTH PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED, INCLUDING THE DOCTOR DRESSUP OUT THERE.
SO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, EVERYBODY'S BEEN AT THE SAME MEETING.
SO THAT WAY, NO LOSS OF INFORMATION IS DONE AND WE CONTINUE AND, AND WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT.
AND THEN WHAT IS LEFT TO BE DONE IN THE NEXT NINE, 10? YOU KNOW, GOOD QUESTION.
WE NOW, WHAT IS, SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHAT'S LEFT TO BE DONE, WE'VE LOOKED AT EVERYTHING FINALIZED, EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR GAME DAY AND ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING'S THERE.
BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE, WE'VE REALLY CONTINUED TO PLAN EVEN UP TO THE LAST MINUTE.
BUT THAT'S JUST TO FINALIZE SOME THINGS, BUT TO WHAT'S LEFT TO BE DONE, THE TEAM THAT YOU'VE SEEN BEHIND ME, THE TEAM THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS MENTIONED HAS BEEN WORKING ON SO FOR TWO YEARS.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THOSE CHIEF DIAZ MENTIONED FIVE DAYS A WEEK, PLANNING, PLANNING, PLANNING, THAT THAT'S ALL WE DO TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE.
SO HAS BEEN LEFT UNTURNED, ALL THE WHAT IFS HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED, THE CONTINU OF OPERATION PLANS FOR THAT.
IF SOMETHING SHOULD OCCUR, WHAT DO WE SWITCH TO?
[00:30:01]
WE MAYOR MENTIONED THE 4TH OF JULY, HOW DO WE SWITCH THERE? SO ALONG WITH DIRECTOR MASON AND HIS TEAM, EVERYTHING'S BEEN PLANNED OUT MINUTE BY MINUTE.AND I CAN ASSURE YOU QUESTION FOR DR. TRAN, THE DEPARTMENT YOU MENTIONED, UH, BRIEFLY ABOUT PREVENTIONS, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE RELATED ILLNESSES TO LOT OF PEOPLE WHO AREN'T USED TO THIS CLIMATE.
UM, TELL US IF THERE'S ANY EXTRA SERVICES OR ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH THAT.
DID I FEED YOU THAT QUESTION?
UH, HOUSTON HEAT HEALTH ALERTS, YOU CAN GO TO HOUSTON HEALTH.ORG, SIGN UP FOR OUR HEAT HEALTH ALERTS.
WE RECOMMEND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, INDIVIDUALS, AND ANY CARETAKERS TO DO THAT.
WE KNOW THAT WITH THE INCREASE IN HEAT INDEX, THAT'S WHEN WE START SEEING HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES.
UH, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE HAVE SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE DATA, AND SOME OF THAT DATA IS WHEN HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES BECOME A BIG PROBLEM.
AND SO FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CHRONIC MEDICAL DISEASES, INCLUDING ASTHMA AND HEART DISEASE, PREGNANT WOMEN, CHILDREN, ELDERLY, UH, INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LIVE ALONE, THOSE ARE REALLY THE BIG VULNERABLE POPULATION COMMITTEE OR, UH, EXCUSE ME, UH, CONSTITUENTS THAT WE, UM, ARE TRYING TO PROTECT.
ESPECIALLY WHEN THE HEAT INDEX REACHES 104 DEGREES OR MORE.
THAT'S WHEN WE START TO SEE, UM, BIG PROBLEMS, UH, IN, IN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WITH PEOPLE COMING IN WITH HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES SUCH AS HEAT STROKE, HEAT CRAMPS, HEAT EXHAUSTION.
UM, PART OF THAT PREVENTION IS ACTUALLY KNOWING WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM OR WHEN WE ANTICIPATE HAVING A PROBLEM.
SO, UH, BY SIGNING UP FOR HOUSTON HEALTH HEAT ALERTS, YOU ARE ABLE TO GET UPDATES, NOT JUST FOR FIFA, BUT ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE HERE WE ARE IN HOUSTON, UM, BUT, UH, ON WHAT TO DO WHEN, UH, WHEN TO PREPARE FOR, UH, WHEN IT'S A HOT DAY AND THERE ARE STEPS ON HOW TO STAY COOL AND STAY SAFE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.
ANY CONCERNS WITH EBOLA? I KNOW DR.
CON WILL BE COMING HERE IN JUNE 11 YES.
SAYING IN EUROPE, SO I KNOW THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH CLEARED, BUT ANY CONCERNS ON THAT? UH, THEY ARE NOT ANY MORE OF A PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT THAN YOU OR I AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, IN OUTSIDE OF THE DRC IN THE AREA OF CONCERN WHERE THE EBOLA OUTBREAK HAS BEEN, UH, AS REQUESTED BY FIFA AND BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
SO I'M EXCITED TO INVITE THEM HERE.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE MAYOR.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THE ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL AMBULANCES, UM, IS THAT THAT 5.4 MILLION ACADIAN CONTRACT WAS APPROVED THE OTHER WEEK.
AND CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE WITH THAT THREE YEAR CONTRACT? AFTER THE WHOLE, WE WANT TO BE PREPARED, AND I COULD ACTUALLY BRING UP THE, SOME CRITICS CHALLENGE US ON OVERTIME.
I WILL NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING THE SIZE FIRST RESPONDERS THAT HOUSTON DESERVES.
AND WHETHER IT'S THIS EVENT WHICH WE SEE COMING, ARE POPUP PROTESTS THAT WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO WEATHER CONDITIONS, UNFORTUNATE TRAGEDIES THAT MAY OCCUR, BUT WE'RE PREPARED, AND I WAS GONNA STEP BACK UP HERE AND LET YOU KNOW, WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY CERTAINLY INVOLVES RUNNING A SAFE AIRPORT OPERATIONS, ALL HANDS ON DECK, PUBLIC WORKS TO HELP US WITH TRAFFIC CONTROL.
CERTAINLY METRO WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE GETTING PEOPLE TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT AND TO THE EVENTS.
SO, UH, THIS IS NOT JUST FOR FIFA AS I CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE, BUT THE COVERAGE OF EMS, WE WERE DANGEROUSLY LOW WHEN I WAS SWORN IN OF FIREFIGHTERS EMS. SO WE'RE AT SUFFICIENT LEVELS, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO WAKE UP AND HAVE A STORM OR OTHER EVENTS AND NOT BE FULLY PREPARED.
SO THE AMBULANCES, I'LL LET THE CHIEF SPEAK TO IT.
UH, HE'S THE ONE THAT MAKES A DECISION FOR THE RESOURCES AND THE DISTRIBUTION.
MY JOB IS TO ASSEMBLE AND THERE'S NO BETTER TEAM IN AMERICA.
AND I CAN START TALKING ABOUT OUR SISTER CITIES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE EXPERIENCING SOME TURMOIL, SOME ARE IN LABOR, UH, NEGOTIATIONS THAT THREATEN SOME OF THE GAMES AROUND THE NATION, NOT HERE TODAY.
WE'RE FULLY PREPARED, PROFESSIONAL, COMPETENT, AND HONEST LEADERS OF EVERY DEPARTMENT, AND I'M PROUD OF THEM.
AND THAT'S THE REASON HOUSTONIANS CAN FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE GOT ALL HANDS ON DECK AND EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HAS THE RESOURCES TO DO IT.
MAYORS MENTION, MAYORS MENTIONED TIME AND TIME AGAIN, PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE PLANNING TEAM'S GOTTEN TOGETHER.
WE LOOK AT SURGES, RIGHT? WE ARE, THIS IS A WORLD EVENT, WORLD STAGE, THEREFORE WE LOOK AT THE SURGE CAPACITY THAT'S ABOUT TO DO, THAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
[00:35:01]
LOOK AT WHAT CAN OCCUR, WHAT RESOURCES DO WE HAVE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE.AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT COVERAGE, NOT ONLY FOR THE EVENT, BUT FOR THE REST OF THE CITY.
THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THAT CONTRACT ESTABLISHED TO GIVE US THAT CAPACITY, TO HAVE THAT SURGE PROTECTION, BOTH ON AT NRG, AT FAN FEST TO ALLOW US TO AGAIN, PROVIDE THE NORMAL DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS THAT WE DO.
AND KEEP IN MIND TOO, THAT ONCE AGAIN, KNOW EVERYTHING, WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL THE POSSIBILITIES THAT COULD OCCUR.
AS AMER IS MENTIONED, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE LOOK PUBLIC SERVICE.
THAT CONTRACT ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT.
REMEMBER, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF HURRICANE SEASON TALKING TO DIRECTOR MASON.
WHAT CAN OCCUR? SO THE WHAT IFS ARE NOW PROTECTED BY THE SUPPORT THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER CONTINUES TO GIVE US, THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE THAT IT DESERVES.
SO THAT ALLOWS US TO, FOR, TO HAVE THAT CAPACITY IN THE EVENT SOMETHING SHOULD OCCUR, AND AGAIN, TO RESPOND IN A TIMELY MANNER IS REQUIRED AND IT'S EXPECTED.
WHAT'S THE SAFETY AND SECURITY PLAN, UM, FOR THE DUTCH FAN LAUNCH? WELL, FOR THAT, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? AND I'LL LET CHIEF DIAZ TALK ABOUT THAT FOR, BUT FROM OUR EMS SIDE AND MEDICAL STAFF, WE'RE GONNA BE RIGHT ALONG MONITORING THAT TO ENSURE THAT IF ANYTHING SHOULD OCCUR, WE MENTIONED THE WEATHER.
A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT NOT BE, YOU KNOW, UH, ACCLIMATED TO OUR WEATHER.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR EMS SUPPORT GOING THROUGH THE ROUTE TO ENSURE THAT IF ANYTHING SHOULD OCCUR AND WE DO IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE HOUSTON MARATHON, 26.4 MILES THAT WE COVER THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE ROUTE TO ENSURE SYMPTOMS SHOULD OCCUR.
WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT MEDICAL SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED.
AND, AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF.
OUR REGION DEPENDS ON HOUSTON.
THIS GREAT TEAM SERVES ALL OF HARRIS COUNTY IN ADJOINING COUNTIES.
WE HAVE THE WORLD'S LARGEST PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY ALONG OUR CHIP CHANNEL.
WE PRODUCE 90% OF OUR NATION'S JET FUEL, DOMESTIC AND MILITARY.
SO WE HAVE TO ALWAYS BE MINDFUL THAT WE'RE ON CALL TO ALL THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, THE ADJOINING COUNTIES, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST PROTECTING HOUSTONIANS AND OUR GUESTS.
WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO GO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.
BRIAN, UH, WHO WE CHIEF, I I THINK WE OUGHT YOU AS WELL.
UH, I'LL, I JUST, I'LL BRIEFLY SAY THAT WE'VE COMMUNICATED, UH, WITH THE FOLKS, THE GOOD FOLKS FROM THE NETHERLANDS, THAT'S WHO YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
BUT WE'RE, AT THE TIME, WE'RE NOT, UH, GONNA SHARE THE ROUTE, BUT WE'VE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM SOMETHING IMPORTANT.
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER, PLEASE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA BE OUT HERE 16, 20 HOURS A DAY IN AN EVENT, DRESS FOR THE WEATHER, BECAUSE I FORESEE THAT'S GONNA BE THE TOUGHEST NEED FOR US AS PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS, IS PEOPLE NOT USED TO, UH, THE HUMIDITY AND THE HOT WEATHER, THE, THE APPROPRIATE CLOTHES, SUNBLOCK, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
WE'LL HAVE COOLING STATIONS AROUND THE FAN FEST, ET CETERA.
BUT, UH, WE'VE ALREADY COMMUNICATED WITH THE NETHERLANDS AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT OUR CAPACITIES ARE.
AND WE TOO WILL HAVE, UH, PLAIN CLOTHES FOLKS WITHIN THE, THE MARCH TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE AND THAT THEY ENJOY, UH, THE EXPERIENCE HERE, UH, THAT HOUSTON ALWAYS GIVES.
WE RELEASE THE ROUTE AHEAD OF TIME.
AND I, I WOULD URGE EVERYONE TO BE RESPONSIBLE WITH THEIR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
NOT ONLY DRIVING, BUT IN THIS HEAT.
AND I THINK DR. TRAN HIGHLIGHTED HOW YOU'VE GOT TO STAY HYDRATED IS PROBABLY THE BEST HEALTH PREVENTION WE CAN THINK OF.
WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO ASK AL TO ADDRESS OUR LANGUAGE.
UH, SPANISH SPEAKING RESIDENTS.
[00:40:15]
THANK YOU.