Officials in the Lower Rio Grande Valley announced a new communications service called RGV9-1-1 to serve Willacy and Hidalgo counties.
In partnership with Cameron County, the new emergency call operation will provide a “seamless” web to allow first responders quick notification across the region, meaning faster response times.
The new agency, the Rio Grande Valley Emergency Communication District, or RGVECD, is responsible for all 9-1-1 emergency call delivery in both counties and covers rural areas as well as 25 municipalities.
“RGV9-1-1 will play a major role during and after future disasters and emergencies,” said Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra, president of the new RGVECD agency.
Guerra said authorization for the new emergency communication district was made possible by the passage of a resolution on Aug. 31. The new RGVECD becomes the 27th such district in the state, he said.
“I had first-hand experience as to how important it is to get efficient and effective help when you need it,” said Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez. “Seven years ago, my wife got up screaming in pain, and what it is when you experience someone screaming in pain, you look for help.”
“And it’s important that when you need that help, someone is there to listen to you and help you immediately,” he added. “And I can tell you the seconds and minutes waiting for someone to help seem like hours. So we owe it to ourselves build a community that we’re proud of, to build a community that is centered around serving one another.”
Sheriff Guerra and others spoke Wednesday at an unveiling of the new communication district at the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council offices in Weslaco.
He stressed that the partnership the Cameron County Emergency Communication District is a key factor in the new arrangement. He said the partnership “will ensure seamless connection to the next generation 9-1-1 which is crucial in times of emergency for public safety answering points, which are known as a PSAP.”
In Willacy County, Judge Aurelio Guerra welcomed the new RGV9-1-1 as being a major step forward in emergency communications in his county.
“As you know, Willacy County is a rural area, so it is critical for us to be able to have first responders identify where they’re needed, and that becomes something of a priority …”
“Because without knowing exactly where is it that they’re needed, as Judge Cortez alluded to in his personal situation, they can’t get to it,” he added.
