{"id":1003209,"date":"2026-08-15T22:11:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T22:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1003209\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T22:11:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T22:11:12","slug":"before-the-next-flood-harris-county-is-changing-how-rescues-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1003209\/","title":{"rendered":"Before the next flood, Harris County is changing how rescues begin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><strong>HARRIS COUNTY, Texas<\/strong> \u2013 For years, Harris County first responders have had to leave the region to receive specialized swiftwater rescue training. That is about to change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">County officials broke ground Friday on a new <a href=\"https:\/\/harriscountyso.org\/News\/ProjectDetails?code=swiftwater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/harriscountyso.org\/News\/ProjectDetails?code=swiftwater\">Swiftwater Rescue Training Facility<\/a> at 1731 Hugh Road. The center will give deputies, constables, firefighters and other emergency personnel a place to practice water rescues, entrapment avoidance, swimming skills and team coordination in controlled conditions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The facility is designed to address a problem local agencies are facing. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and Sean Williams, assistant director of capital improvements for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/topic\/Harris_County_Sheriff&#039;s_Office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/topic\/Harris_County_Sheriff&#039;s_Office\/\">Harris County Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/a>, said the swiftwater training facility near Austin has closed, while other options require responders to travel across Texas or out of state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cFor so long, we\u2019ve really been unprepared, trying to figure things out on the go,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cNow we\u2019ll have the training up front where we can train our personnel in real-life situations.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">That lesson became especially clear during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">As floodwaters overwhelmed parts of the county, first responders rushed into neighborhoods to rescue residents. Many were working under dangerous conditions without consistent access to hands-on swiftwater training nearby. Officials said many first responders had to learn on the go.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Harvey showed officials that courage and equipment are not enough on their own. Responders also need a place to practice how to use that equipment, move through dangerous water and coordinate with other agencies before a crisis begins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The new facility will include a deluge tank that helps trainees transition from flood conditions into a swiftwater environment, officials said. It will also allow responders to train with equipment they may use during an actual emergency, including high-water vehicles and boats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cHaving this in our backyard, having this resource, we can train them day and night,\u201d Williams said. \u201cWe can also simulate night during the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The center is expected to train as many as 1,600 people each year, including personnel from partner agencies across the region, Gonzalez said. Williams said it will be about twice the size of the county\u2019s previous training space and could serve law enforcement, fire departments, military personnel and other agencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">That local access could make a real difference. Instead of spending several days traveling to training, responders could complete instruction closer to home and return more quickly to patrol and other duties. Agencies could also schedule training more regularly, helping maintain a larger pool of certified responders.<\/p>\n<p>Rendering of the Harris County Swiftwater Rescue Training Facility exterior, showing the main building, rescue boats and high-water vehicles. (Harris County Sheriff&#8217;s Office)<b>Part of a broader effort<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The project is part of a broader expansion of flood-rescue training in the Houston area. A separate $104 million facility known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestormranch.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thestormranch.org\/\">STORM Ranch<\/a> is being developed in Mission Bend by the Community Volunteer Fire Department and Harris Fort Bend ESD 100.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">That project is designed as a large, multi-scenario training complex with swiftwater channels, a boat-rescue pond and an urban village where buildings can be flooded for rescue exercises. Its developers have also said the facility will offer basic flood-preparedness training for civilians.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The Harris County Sheriff\u2019s Office facility and STORM Ranch are separate projects with different scopes. But together, they could give the region more ways to train responders locally and improve coordination before the next hurricane or flood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cOther events, [first responders] have gone into, and they\u2019ve had training on the job during the event, unfortunately,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThe safety of our officers is the safety and the result of our residents as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The county project is funded through voter-approved bonds and supported by Harris County Commissioners Court, the Harris County Office of the County Engineer and the Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">For most residents, the facility may not be top of mind until the next major flood. But that is the point. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWe want to make sure that every first responder, not only here but across the region, can really be prepared and have the training and tools they need to successfully and effectively conduct rescues,\u201d Gonzalez said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Officials said they expect to complete the project by mid-2027.<\/p>\n<p>Start Here, Houston<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 bTVksG\">More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HARRIS COUNTY, Texas \u2013 For years, Harris County first responders have had to leave the region to receive&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1003210,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5130],"tags":[9856,8072,6386,401684,8323,20882,4345,2692,8152,401685,358,3187],"class_list":["post-1003209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-first-responders","tag-floods","tag-harris-county","tag-harris-county-office-of-the-county-engineer","tag-harris-county-sheriffs-office","tag-hcso","tag-houston","tag-hurricanes","tag-safety","tag-swiftwater-rescues","tag-texas","tag-tx"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117101820970697252","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1003209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1003209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1003209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1003210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1003209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1003209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1003209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}