In this compelling session, two Houston Fire Department firefighter/paramedics and Associate Medical Director Chris Souders will detail important aspects about how the Houston Fire Department, one of the most progressive fire/EMS agencies in the United States, managed the many obstacles presented to them by Hurricane Harvey. Houston is the fourth most populous city in the United States with a consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA) of 8,778 square miles, an area slightly smaller than Massachusetts but larger than New Jersey. The HFD had to rescue 122,331 people (and 5,234 pets); manage a 40% increase in calls for service; and provide medical support for 42,000 people spread out in 692 shelters when 33 trillion gallons of water fell on their city. This panel will detail how HFD used technology, social media resources such as Twitter and reddit and lessons learned from previous floods experienced throughout the United States to be successful with the flood waters hit their large metropolitan area, turning streets, highways and neighborhoods and parts of the city’s downtown area into rivers.