Houston City Council to consider $2M request to buy flood rescue equipment

Leonel Marroquin, left, lifts his father, Heliodro Marroquin, with help from Maria Varrientos as his son, Fabian, 17, right, waits with bags as they took their boat to a rescue point along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017. Flooding is wide spread after rain from Hurrican Harvey. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle) less Leonel Marroquin, left, lifts his father, Heliodro Marroquin, with help from Maria Varrientos as his son, Fabian, 17, right, waits with bags as they took their boat to a rescue point along Edgebrook Sunday, ... more Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Houston City Council to consider $2M request to buy flood rescue equipment 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

After Hurricane Harvey's flooding exposed glaring inadequacies in the Houston Fire Department's high-water rescue fleet, city officials this week are set to consider the purchase of dozens of new boats, trucks and other rescue equipment to help deal with future flooding.

Under the proposal set for council consideration, the city would spend $2 million on a package that would include six "deuce-and-a-halfs," or high water rescue vehicles capable of driving through flooded areas, at a cost of $75,000 each.

The council proposal also includes buying four rescue boats suited for use in swift water, and 10 "evacuation boats," meant for moving people through calmer waters.

The funding also covers the purchase of boat trailers and 10 pick-up trucks for hauling the boats, along with 100 personal flotation devices, and four "wave runners," a type of Jetski.

Fire officials and labor representatives cheered the proposal to bulk up HFD's rescue equipment.

"With the acquisition of the requested high water assets and training funds, the HFD will be better prepared to address the normally expected flood evacuation and rescue risk in our community," said Fire Chief Samuel Peña in an email.

"This is welcome news," said Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 341, on hearing of the proposed purchase. "We're relieved this issue is being addressed — for the safety of the people we serve and for firefighters on the job."

RELATED: Harvey laid bare lack of resources, training at Houston Fire Department

A Chronicle investigation found that when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in August 2017, the fire department had just one high-water rescue vehicle, decrepit rescue boats and decades-old evacuation boats.

Firefighters rescued residents using the city's dump trucks or their fire engines, which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a piece. At the time the department's high-water rescue fleet included 10 shallow-water evacuation boats, six swift-water Zodiac rescue boats, several inflatable dinghies, four functional wave runners.

Peña: Lack of HFD investment puts residents, firefighters at risk

In the wake of the flooding, Peña said Hurricane Harvey had shown how anemic the department's flood rescue resources were.

"No municipality is ever going to have the number of resources to be able to respond to a catastrophic incident the size of Harvey," he told the Chronicle in September. "But ... we don't have the adequate resources to address even the expected risk in this community."

As Harvey's floodwaters receded, firefighters excoriated city leaders for ignoring warnings about the need for better equipment and training after the Memorial Day flood of 2015 and the 2016 Tax Day floods.

MORE: Donations help Houston Fire Department expand rescue fleet months after Harvey

Apart from the items covered in the council's proposal, HFD has also received private donations and pledges of three additional high-water rescue vehicles, six evacuation boats and two swift-water rescue boats.

The proposed city purchases would help double the number of swift-water and evacuation boats. Peña said he wanted enough resources to be able to station high-water rescue trucks across the city.

St. John Barned-Smith covers public safety and major breaking news for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send tips to st.john.smith@chron.com.