(Houston, TX) – The Harris County Regional Joint Information Center (JIC) will close this Friday, September 15, after being fully activated for 25 days in response to Hurricane Harvey. The Regional JIC was stood up on August 22 to coordinate emergency public information with county and partner agencies. The Regional JIC has served as a one-stop shop for the media who has helped disseminate public safety messages and updates.
The Regional JIC has been providing regular updates to keep decision makers (elected officials, partners and stakeholders), the public and the media informed about the response and recovery efforts taking place. Its function is important because it provides critical information so appropriate precautionary or protective actions are taken during a disaster. The Regional JIC does this through Harris County Alerts, social media and the ReadyHarris app.
During the Hurricane Harvey activation, the Regional JIC received hundreds of calls from local, national and international media. The Regional JIC also coordinated emergency alerts, maintained updated information on the ReadyHarris.org website and was very active on social media. Close to 40 communications professionals from local, state, federal, and public agencies worked 12-hour schedules or more to provide round-the-clock coverage.
The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) is grateful for the hard work and dedication of all those that staffed the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the Regional JIC. It has been an honor to work with these individuals and their agencies who helped support the region’s disaster response efforts.
The Regional JIC recently marked its 10th anniversary. In 2007, HCOHSEM established the Regional JIC to serve as the area’s hub for communication and coordination. The Regional JIC is a component of the Harris County EOC and activates to support emergency operations public information.
The Harris County EOC will remain at Level III Increased Readiness until further notice to focus on Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. Residents may continue to access recovery information and updates at www.readyharris.org.