Dallas’ Emergency Operations Center used real-time crash data to guide the city’s response.
DALLAS — The City of Dallas is sharing data it collected as a winter storm moved through North Texas from Jan. 9 through Jan. 11.
As much as 7 inches of snow fell in parts of North Texas, however, snowfall within the city of Dallas varied between a dusting to four inches of snow, according to snowfall totals. As more arctic weather makes its way through the state, the city of Dallas will give Dallas City Council members a recap of the city’s response to the storm.
In response to the snowfall, the city of Dallas’ Office of Emergency Management & Crisis Response activated the Emergency Operations Center on Jan. 9 to coordinate the city’s response to the winter weather, according to a memo sent to members of the Dallas City Council.
The goal of the center is to deploy resources and provide regular updates on weather impacts, according to the memo. This storm marked the first time that real-time traffic accident data was used to guide the deployment of sanding trucks, the memo states.
“Data played a key role in the winter storm response,” the memo states.
The city broke down data collected during the winter storm, including how many traffic accidents occurred and other calls for service, according to the memo.
There were 182 crashes where a paramedic was dispatched on Dallas roads, according to the memo.
Officials worked to prevent those accidents by sanding 4,000 lane miles with 50 trucks, the memo states. The number of crashes on Dallas roads during the storm was below the average daily crash count in January, according to city staff.
There were 175 Transportation and Public Works personnel working 12-hour shifts during the winter storm, the memo states.
Off the roads, the city responded to other needs created by the winter storm. Four inclement weather shelters in Dallas housed a daily average of 950 people, the city said.
Dallas Fire Rescue and Office of Homeless Solutions responded to 237 requests for transportation to Temporary Inclement Weather Shelters, the memo states.
Dallas Animal Services responded to 246 calls alleging an animal was not being cared for, officials issued 74 notices of violation, the memo states.
