With a population of over 315,000, Corpus Christi, Texas, is no stranger to both natural disasters and man-made challenges — including hurricanes, flooding, water boils, and city-wide events. The city’s Office of Emergency Management (CC OEM) is responsible for the city proper of Corpus Christi, as well as the surrounding 12 counties that make up the Texas Coastal Bend Region.
Under the guidance of Emergency Management Coordinator Jace Johnson, CC OEM’s mission focuses on building a comprehensive, all-hazard emergency management program. This includes pre- and post-disaster mitigation of known hazards to reduce their impact; preparedness activities, such as emergency planning, training, and exercises; provisions for effective response to emergency situations; and recovery programs for major disasters.
As Jace notes, “We have to look out for emergencies and disasters; not only hurricanes, but any other kind of natural disaster — you can have it in Texas. So we have to be alert, available, aware, and ready at all times.” Managing a sprawling jurisdiction, the CC OEM trusts Juvare’s WebEOC platform to effectively handle its complex emergency ops and continuity needs. With WebEOC, CC OEM maintains the situational awareness and flexibility that is so essential for Jace and team.
Optimized Workflows & Real-Time Coordination
With WebEOC, CC OEM has found a tool capable of keeping pace with their multi-faceted responsibilities, allowing them to not only care for the city and surrounding counties, but to more effectively coordinate with state and federal agencies.
“We needed a platform that could standardize forms, streamline planning, and still integrate with state and federal operating procedures,” shared Jace. “WebEOC has given us the flexibility to customize our workflows while maintaining interoperability with our partner agencies, such as the Texas Division of Emergency Mangement (TDEM).”
While many cities and counties choose to work within their state’s WebEOC instance, Corpus Christi made the decision to implement its own WebEOC — having complete control of their platform, CC OEM can implement custom workflows, run monthly drills, and provide training to team members, all in the platform.
Check out the video above to hear more about the workflows Jace and CC OEM are utilizing!
Partners for Long-Term Success
In addition to more effective collaboration and reporting to state and federal agencies, Jace highlights how CC OEM is unlocking a network effect with its local, county-level partners: “We’ve recently made it possible for our regional partners, regional counties, to log on, have their own accounts to work in — whether we have an event or an emergency, a tropical storm or hurricane — we can all join together into an area command… and communicate, document, and work together on the response, and submit and track resources throughout the state.”
Check out the video above to hear how CC OEM was able to work across county lines and support their Texas neighbors during Hurricane Harvey!
For Corpus Christi, WebEOC isn’t just a tool—it’s the backbone of a connected, collaborative, and resilient emergency management strategy that empowers them to best serve their city, the Texas Coastal Bend Region, and the state of Texas.
