DENTON COUNTY, Texas — Hundreds of COVID-19 vaccine recipients rolled through Texas Motor Speedway on Friday. Nearby Denton County Emergency Services was keeping an eye on the skies so the vaccination team can stay focused on the ground.
Inside the mobile command unit nicknamed “Goliath,” the emergency services team is constantly monitoring weather alerts and radar, news outlets and security cameras, according to Eric Hutmacher, officer with Denton County Emergency Services.
“We also have a command team that is up in Texas Motor Speedway, at one of our suites,” Hutmacher said. "They are looking at radar and monitoring chat.”
Should severe weather roll in they’ve also developed a way to spread the word quickly through a text line and radio broadcast that originates on site.
Residents are encouraged to text TMSVAC to 888777 and tune into 95.1 FM for up to the minute alerts should weather affect vaccine operations.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases have continued a steady decline since the start of April and hospitalizations have hovered at or below 5% of inpatient capacity all week, the best numbers since early October.
It’ll take even more vaccinations to beat the pandemic. That’s why Denton County Emergency Services is staying vigilant.
“We want to make sure that everyone who’s receiving vaccine and also working out here that they stay safe,” Hutmacher said. “Of course, number one priority is to deliver vaccine but the main theme of course is life safety.”
Click here for more information about vaccines in Denton County.
Click here to see the latest COVID-19 numbers out of Denton County.