Friday, May 3, 2013

Sandra Webb, Transportation Manager, Heart of Texas Council of Governments

On the evening of April 17, a fertilizer plant in the town of West, Texas exploded. The blast was so severe that it measured 2.1 on the richter scale. Many homes, businesses and local facilities were destroyed or damaged. Tragically, 15 people lost their lives and more than 160 people were injured in the explosion.

Sandra Webb is the transportation manager for the Heart of Texas Council of Governments in Waco, some 30 miles south of West. She was watching the unfolding news of the explosion on television when her phone rang. They needed buses up in West to help evacuate people and to offer shelter to first responders. She had four vehicle there as fast as possible. This edition of the CT Podcast highlights the vital role that community and public transportation plays in emergency preparedness and response, even in rural communities. Webb and her staff exhibited the very best of community transit on that tragic evening in West, Texas.

Listen Here (17:29)