Boerne residents who live near Voss Middle School may have noticed a buzz of activity there for the past few weeks. And no, it has nothing to do with back to school preparedness.
In mid-July, the Boerne ISD opened the school to a crew of search and rescue/ recovery teams from the Dallas-Fort Worth area who desired to be a part of the Guadalupe River flood search effort.
A letter from the district went out July 19 via social media, telling of the BISD’s offer of lodging at Voss for the crew of about 50 searchers and their four canines.
“It’s important to me and my team that these brave individuals have a safe space to rest and recuperate from their work,” Dr. Kristin Craft, Boerne ISD superintendent, said. “Boerne ISD has mobilized Voss Middle School as a ‘home base’ for them while they’re here.”
The group is expected to pull out soon, as the end of July was an initial target for withdrawal.
Once word got out — and with “Boerne being Boerne” — a flood of calls hit BISD central office, wanting to know what they would need in terms of food, bedding, clothing, search and recovery garb and tools, etc.
Maggie Dominguez, BISD communications director, said the Texas Task Force is largely self-sufficient, adhering to state regulations, which means their needs were minimal.
“They provide their own security and food,” Dominguez said. “Our operations and maintenance team was on-hand the day the team arrived and has been on-site daily to provide them with anything they needed.”
Members of the crew were able to use the shower facilities, washers and dryers, and ice machines, in addition to several adjoining rooms at Voss.
During the summer months, when BISD buildings are not occupied by students and staff, the district keeps its HVAC off and power usage to a minimum. This represented a quick turnaround for Voss, getting sections of the school cooled for their arrival and stay.
“Our goal was to provide the Task Force with a safe, cool place to rest and relax, so we adjusted the level of the ACs in the areas they occupied to accommodate them,” Dominguez said.
Texas Task Force did not respond to a request for an interview. Dominguez said they would make a relations person available prior to their departure.
“We are grateful for the generosity and courage of the first responders from our area and across the country,” Craft said.
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