After a harsh winter storm hit East Texas bringing sub-freezing temperatures for an extended period of time, the Tyler Fire Department has been faced with an abnormally high incident-load that has kept crews on their trucks for most of the day. Incidents ranging from motor vehicle accidents, technical rescues, commercial/residential fire alarms, to assist the public calls, structure fires, assist EMS and medical calls, all in a single day. While these incidents are not uncommon, to have a high load of any sort of call can be out of the ordinary, and the winter weather is definitely to blame.
According to Oncor, at the time of this article, more than 11,000 customers are currently affected by power outages here in Smith County at the time of this posting. Because of this, residents are struggling to keep themselves and their homes warm. Water lines inside the walls are becoming more vulnerable as temperatures decrease and as a result, lines are breaking causing damage and flooding. Today in Tyler, this was a reality for many, as homes and apartment complexes dripped and filled with water from broken lines. Tyler Fire Department crews were the first to be called to come to aid and turn off the water to the residence after several homes flooded, some with minor to severe damage. Crews also faced line breaks in commercial fire suppression systems that triggered alarms and flow sensors. Several structure fires also came out and were the result of those trying to stay warm inside.
For us at RCE Media, it has been hard to pinpoint the exact number of incidents that the Tyler Fire Department has responded to but, between the hours of 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM on February 16th, we counted 33 incidents mainly being related to broken water lines, with a motor vehicle accident, several commercial fire alarms and a structure fire. If you are any sort of math wiz then you might see that in an hour and a half, TFD responded to a new incident every 3 minutes, and things were at a similar pace for most of the day.
The Tyler Police Department and UT Health EMS have been just as busy responding to incidents across the city as well. If you see any emergency vehicle out on the road with their lights on, it is important that you still pull over and give them plenty of room so that they can safely pass. Response times are slower than usual due to road conditions and the high incident load.
Please turn to the City of Tyler Government social media pages for updates and accurate information regarding the city’s water systems, and other key information. There are multiple warming centers spread across Tyler where those needing a warm place can go. Warming Centers open after-hours/overnight in Tyler for residents without power, heat | Tyler, TX
