This months "Coffee with the Mayor" of Frisco Texas was the best turnout yet.  Last month, Mayor Maso discussed a new theme for these meetings.  The theme would be to hold the meetings at a new location each month.  The location would be the topic of discussion (at least to begin with) and would them move to other local events and discussions.  The new theme started this month when we held the meeting at Frisco's Emergency Operations Center which is located in the Frisco Central Fire Station.  As a result, over 60 residents attending.  This marked the biggest showing yet.

I have to tell you in advance that I tried to keep up on the notes, but I was so absorbed with the information provided that I found myself not taking as many notes.  It was extremely fascinating to me how the systems worked.  The technology and communication within the city was just amazing.

Chief Mack Borchardt was the main speaker for the first 35 minutes of the meeting.  During that time, he discussed a product called Situational Awareness For Emergency Response ( S.A.F.E.R. ).  Currently, the system is tied to the local schools.  With a click of the button, the Emergency Response Team can see what is going on within our local schools in case of a serious emergency.  This provides the ERT with an inside view so they know what is happening, what to expect, and how to respond to the situation.  In addition, all Response Vehicles have a lowjack type system in place which helps identify which vehicles are on location.  All of this helps the Chief direct his team and communicate with other officials.  The system can easily be installed with other facilities which have camera's in place.  Ultimately providing further safety within our city.  Ideally, it will never need to be used, but the technology is there and is far more advanced than most other cities have in place.

In addition to the SAFER project, the Chief provided insight to other safety features.  For example, the emergency sirens are tested daily (rotated and signals) and weekly (sirens can be heard for miles).  Another interesting fact was that our Fire Trucks have sensors on them to change street signals from red to green.  This helps them in traffic and assists with keeping other drivers safe.

After hearing about the safety equipment in place and plans for new developments, its no wonder Frisco is one of the safest cities in Texas.  As a matter of fact, we are in the top tier from ISO (International Organization for Standardization).  What does this mean to you?  Its a ranking system for several things.  In this case, it measures our emergency response time and emergency facilities, among other things.  Ultimately, it means LOWER INSURANCE PREMIUMS.

The average response time is 4-5 minutes anywhere in Frisco Texas.

Although a majority of our focus was on the facility and functionality, we did discuss a few upcoming events.  One of the events is a class called "City Hall 101".  This will be a free class offered.  The discussion within the class will be about City Hall, the different divisions, and how the residents can help make a difference.  There are many opportunities for residents to get involved.

We currently have over 102K residents and growing.  Of the employers within Frisco, the Independent School District is still the largest.  As a matter of fact, they are employing another 600 employees within the next year due to the opening of a High School.  Each year, Frisco ISD has grown their employee base as a result of additional schools and new residents.

It was not yet announced where the next meeting will be held, but I certainly look forward to it.  This months meeting was very educational and my blog does it no justice.  I invite you to take a trip and be prepared to be fascinated.