Lawmaker blasts camps 'wholly unprepared' for flooding as 'malpractice'
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Days after Texas lawmakers criticized how Kerr County officials responded to the July 4 flooding, new harsh words were levied Tuesday -- this time at Texas' youth camps.
"After the Kerrville hearing, it became apparent to me, and to you, that some of our camps were not just wholly unprepared for this catastrophic event, they were wholly unprepared for any flooding event," Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, said at a meeting of the House Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness & Flooding.
'Malpractice'
"Being ill equipped to handle a flood as a private citizen is one thing," Darby added. "But, as a camp ground in charge of the lives of children -- many of whom know nothing about the rivers or their dangers -- is malpractice."
Darby introduced House Bill 19, which would require campgrounds to submit annual flood disaster plans to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
If the plans are insufficient, the camps would have to make changes within 90 days -- or face fines up to $1000 for each violation.
A KXAN investigation was seemingly referenced by Rep. Terry Wilson, R-Georgetown, who said he "recently stumbled upon an article" and highlighted our findings from July 11: Unlike eight other camps in Kerr County, Camp Mystic was not accredited by the American Camp Association, which requires voluntary adherence of up to 266 health and safety standards.
"Is there any value ... for us to reflect on those and examine those to see if there's something that should be added to the licensure process?," Wilson asked.
Other bills proposed would:
- Require emergency management coordinators be licensed.
- Provide funding for early warning and emergency systems.
- Create a council and grant program to help first responders work together seamlessly.
'Time saves lives'
The latter measure -- to address the state's "interoperability" problem -- was filed by the chair of the committee, Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, this past legislative session. It was co-authored by committee member Rep. Joe Moody, who was the only Democratic member of the committee present.
The proposal -- which seeks to find ways to improve communication among first responders from different agencies using different radio channels -- is now being renewed with new urgency.
"It usually takes three 12-hour shifts to get people interoperable," King said. "That is too long. And, I don't care if it's a fire, a flood, a school shooting -- every disaster that comes before this body -- that is a common denominator."
"Time," he said, "saves live."
"Can I just say, Amen," TDEM Chief Nim Kidd replied.
Another bill discussed aims to curb fraudulent charitable donation requests during disasters. Some lawmakers said they were "surprised" that no one from Attorney General Ken Paxton's office was present to testify. Officials from Paxton's office say that's because they never received an invite.
"The Office of the Attorney General works tirelessly to provide resource witnesses anytime it is requested by the Texas Legislature, but we did not receive a request or invitation to testify in this instance," said the Office of the Attorney General's Director of Government Relations, George Lane. "We will continue to work with legislators to pass vital legislation that helps Texans, including stopping heinous individuals that try to take advantage of tragedies to scam the people of Texas."
That bill, and four others, were left pending by the committee.
On Wednesday, the House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee will meet to hear invited testimony on Texas youth camps including how prepared they are to handle emergencies like floods and other natural disasters.