The Victoria City/County Office of Emergency Management team appeared on the City of Victoria’s Town Talk podcast to talk about how the Office of Emergency Management helps local agencies respond to disasters and how residents can prepare for hurricanes and other emergencies.
The Office of Emergency Management operates under the National Incident Management System (NIMS) framework that was developed by the federal government after 9/11 to ensure a coordinated response during major incidents that involve multiple agencies.
“We bring all of the operational people into one place and say, ‘How do we get back to where we were before the major event started?’” said Emergency Management Coordinator Rick McBrayer. “It’s so important for us to make sure we surround ourselves with the subject matter experts, to really get them involved.”
The importance of coordinated disaster response was highlighted for many Texans during the July 4 floods in Kerr County. The Office of Emergency Management team reflected on their experience of the floods, including their efforts to calm residents’ fears and explain that the floods would not impact Victoria County.
“In disasters or in catastrophes, a lot of misinformation tends to propagate,” said Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Jena Banda. “It’s a crisis on top of a crisis.”
The team also shared a few tips from the Office of Emergency Management’s 2025 Hurricane & Emergency Preparedness Guide, which is available on the Emergency Management webpage at www.vctx.org.
“We can’t become complacent,” McBrayer said. “As hurricane season comes along, we need to be prepared for it. The more prepared you are, the more resilient you’re going to be.”
To learn more, watch or listen to the latest episode of Town Talk on YouTube at Victoria Texas Videos or on Spotify at Town Talk (City of Victoria).