Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Zapata County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The project was made possible by $1,000,000 in Community Project Funding that Dr. Cuellar secured in the FY22 government funding bill. Zapata County will contribute a $333,384 match, bringing the total project amount to $1,333,384.

“It is important that our first responders have proper facilities and accommodations to respond effectively in a crisis. The new Emergency Operations Center will ensure faster response times and higher quality of service to Zapata County residents,” said Congressman Cuellar. “As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fight for critical funding for first responders. Thank you to Zapata County Sherriff Raymond Del Bosque, Zapata County Fire Chief Daniel Arriaga, and the Zapata County Commissioners Court for working with me to make this project possible.”

The new EOC will provide Zapata County’s first responders, fire department, and emergency services with a new state-of-the-art, centralized facility that will allow for more efficient Incident Command System (ICS) response planning. This improved coordination will improve emergency response times for Zapata County residents.

The nearly 15,000 residents of Zapata County will benefit from the construction of this Emergency Operations Center.