City of Rockwall: Public Safety Announcement

(Rockwall) August 15, 2013 – In an effort to ensure that public safety remains a top priority with the City of Rockwall, officials often partner with area agencies for better protection of residents. Recently, the Rockwall Fire Department brokered an agreement with the Rowlett Fire Department to use each other’s Emergency Operations Center in the event of a disaster in their respective cities. Rockwall’s EOC is located at the Police Department and Rowlett’s is at its central fire station. It is important to have a fully functional EOC available for use by local jurisdictions in a disaster, and the Rockwall/Rowlett agreement provides a contingency for both of the cities. There is a back-up EOC at the Sheriff’s Department, but the close proximity prompted the City to secure an alternate location in the event of a disaster destroyed both facilities in Rockwall.

Another recent agreement was made between the Rockwall Police Department and the Rockwall Independent School District and the cities of Fate and Heath. Police Chief Mark Moeller agreed to a request from school district officials to provide two new School Resource Officers to work in their elementary schools. Law enforcement officials in Fate and Heath agreed that they would each provide one officer.

Chief Moeller and officials with the two cities worked together with the school district to develop an expansion of the current school safety plan. The Rockwall school district will pay 75% of both officers’ salary and benefits. When school isn’t in session, the officers will be assigned to other police duties.

The Rockwall Police Department also entered into another agreement with the City of Fate and its Department of Public Safety for dispatch services. Two dispatch positions will be added to handle additional Fate service calls. Fate will pay $85,000 in fiscal 2013-2014 in salaries and benefits. The agreement is effective on September 1st, and Rockwall will begin dispatching for Fate on or before October 1st.

“These three agreements, which were approved by our city council, are just a few examples of the regional cooperation among agencies that benefit all of our citizens and their safety,” said Police Chief Mark Moeller.

  city of rockwall, eoc, public safety, rockwall fire department