The unexpected severity and duration of snowstorms that hit Texas in spring of 2021 caught residents and businesses off guard. The storms’ various impacts included widespread power outages and exposing residents to extreme cold. These dangerous conditions meant Texans needed help, which they received through organization like BCFS Health and Human Services. The organization is a leader in disaster management and emergency response services and offered multiple capabilities to Texans to help them manage the storms.
The organization helped many cities and other organizations throughout Texas during and after the massive storms. It provided lifesaving assistance to Breckenridge Village of Tyler (BVT), a nonprofit facility offering care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. BVT lost power during one of the storms, and its managers soon realized these conditions would expose their residents to unsafe temperatures. They worked with BCFS Health and Human Services to transition residents to the nearby Robert. M. Rogers Chapel, where power generators were combined with blankets and cots to provide a safe and warm place for residents to shelter.
The city of San Antonio also relied upon the organization for help. BCFS Health and Human Services offered a variety of services to the city’s residents, including the management of a warming center at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. This center offered cots, blankets, and emergency power generators that could function for up to 500 people a day who were exposed to plummeting temperatures and potential harm.
During the storm, the organization continued to provide Texans with medical care due to the logistical planning and hard work of its transportation services. These services included driving staff members to and from their critical care jobs in spite of the ongoing dangerous road conditions.
Many of the organization’s residential facilities lost water and power services during the storm, however these issues were minor inconveniences because each facility had on-site generators and adequate stores of food and water on hand.