**Evaluate this session**
Hurricane Harvey was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. In a four-day period in August 2017, areas received more than 40 inches of rain as the major storm system slowly meandered over eastern Texas and adjacent waterways, causing catastrophic flooding.
With peak accumulations of 60.58 in, Harvey became the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States. The resulting floods inundated hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced more than 30,000 people, and prompted more than 17,000 rescues.
In this powerful session, David Persse, MD, EMS Director & Public Health Authority for the City of Houston will detail the way the Houston Fire Department resources were prepared for, and coped with, the many challenges presented to them throughout the Hurricane Harvey Flooding in Houston.
Dr. Persse will outline how his EMS system used the knowledge gained by HFD management team’s research and preparation after natural disasters that occurred previously in Houston to efficiently and effectively manage their personnel and resources during this epic flooding disaster.
As a part of this dynamic session, Brent Williams, Senior EMS Advisor for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), will brief the audience on the role of FirstNet, a nationwide system established to ensure that a dedicated, nationwide wireless network for first responders during future disasters. Congress provided FirstNet with $7 billion in funding, 20 MHz of spectrum in the powerful 700 band, and the unique charge to create a public-private partnership that would allow the network to serve the needs of public safety in every U.S. state and territory.