(BOP) - On Friday, February 19, 2021, the White House requested aid from the Bureau of Prisons to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas Division of Emergency Support in response to the devastating winter storms. As a result, Deputy Director Beasley contacted South Central Regional Director Juan Baltazar to coordinate a community support operation for food and water distribution.
The South Central Region received the specific request, and list of distribution sites in need of aid, and arranged for Bureau trucks and staff drivers from FMC Carswell, FMC Ft. Worth, FCC Pollock and FCI Seagoville to deliver the needed supplies beginning the next day. The requested aid began to arrive at sites in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area Saturday afternoon and in the Houston area later that evening. The last delivery was accepted at approximately 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning. In total, 11 pallets of Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs), equaling 5,544 individual meals, along with 94 pallets (189,504 bottles) of water were successfully delivered to Texas communities in need. A reported 8 million people in Texas were still experiencing water disruptions Sunday evening.
Once again, Bureau staff have done an outstanding job responding to an emergency request for support during a challenging time. The successful deployment and execution of this special operation is a testament to the Bureau's ability to readily assist our federal partners nationwide and the communities surrounding our institutions.