Dallas Police and Dallas Fire Rescue are working with other departments in the area as visitors begin arriving this weekend for Monday's solar eclipse. The city will operate an emergency response center.
“The Office of Emergency Management has been coordinating efforts among our city, county, local and state partners in preparation for this event,” Dallas Emergency Management Director Travis Houston said. “Our main focus has been on how to communicate with the public and how that will impact security on the day.”
City Councilman Gay Donnell Willis said he has discussed potential visitor numbers with Houston. When Nashville saw the eclipse in 2017, the city's population increased by 35%, she said.
“If you translate that to Dallas, Texas, that's about 400,000 people coming to our city,” she said. “What this means is people will be moving around our cities.”
Downtown Dallas said it will have a “clean team,” security team, homeless outreach efforts and ambassadors to greet people and help them find their way. The group says nearly all downtown hotel rooms are booked.
According to Visit Dallas, there are a total of 35,000 hotel rooms in the city, with limited availability at most venues. The organization has launched a website with a list of events.
Both organizations said a number of visitors have now arrived and plan to stay throughout the weekend.
The city of Dallas plans to operate an emergency operations center at City Hall and a joint information center with police and fire departments throughout the region.
Police Chief Eddie Garcia said the department plans to limit leave and bring in additional personnel.
“Our priority is the safety of people on our roads and across the city for this event, and those who may be seeking help at this time,” he said.
Garcia said police will focus on “critical infrastructure,” including the busiest interchanges. He said he would also work to secure routes to hospitals.
“There will be a visible presence of the Dallas Police Department on our roads and in our cities,” he said. “We have been working with the city and law enforcement partners on traffic management.”
The Garcia and Dallas Fire Departments communicate with each other, other city departments, and neighboring cities. Dallas Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Scott Pacot said the fire department has reviewed its staffing plans in light of the potential increase in calls for service.
“There are many events planned in the city,” he said. “We have dedicated emergency medical services to provide treatment and response for our customers who attend our emergency medical services.”
Garcia and Pacot echoed TxDOT's call not to stop on the road to view the eclipse. That would slow traffic, they said, but could also hinder first responders trying to reach emergencies.
Garcia said a “visible presence” by police will help prevent people from blocking access to hospitals and other essential services.
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