The first, first responders

Director of HEC David Cutler

About 9,000 calls are made to each day to the Houston Emergency Center by crime victims who need help. We collect accurate information from the callers to determine the proper response and relay that information to police, firefighters and EMS personnel throughout Houston.

The city’s Office of Emergency Management is also at HEC. Both agencies combine efforts to manage small and large emergencies. Last year, HEC served as the command center for coordination of the response to Hurricane Ike that involved all levels of city employees and elected officials. They worked around the clock for weeks to mitigate the damage caused by Ike and to protect Houstonians’ lives.

Each day, HEC employees help citizens in life-threatening situations. It takes a special kind of person to remain calm in these moments and to help our citizens when they face peril. The HEC employee they encounter may be their only lifeline. In stressful moments like these, we remain calm so we can put forth our best efforts for their safety.

In the field of public safety, Houston’s citizens can be assured their calls for help are handled by “The first, first responders.”