A Texas battalion chief received hundreds of calls from residents needing help during last week's snowstorm after he gave out his personal cell during a TV interview.
Austin Battalion Chief Bob Nicks appeared in a live interview on KXAN-TV on Feb. 17 after snow and ice devastated Texas, causing massive power outages and forcing many to go without power. During the interview, Nicks told viewers that he would dispatch an off-duty firefighter to help anyone get to a warming center.
That offer had Nicks' phone ring off the hook once he was off the air. Many of the calls came from elderly residents who had been without food, heat and water for days.
“By the time I got to work I had a queue of 30 or 40 calls,” the firefighter told KXAN. “I got over 400 calls that day.”
Many people were prompted to call Nicks, who also is the president of the Austin Firefighters Association, because they had difficulty getting through to authorities by calling 9-1-1.
“9-1-1 saw a dramatic increase in calls last week some callers had to wait on hold until an operator was available to answer the call," the Austin Police Department said in a statement to KXAN. "The 9-1-1 operators answered every call received unless the caller disconnected.”
While Nicks didn't expect such a massive response from, he was happy he could help those in desperate need during the severe weather. He believes he had off-duty firefighters helping about 100 people, and now he's receiving calls about residents needing safe drinking water.
“I really got a good sense of how bad it was,” Nicks told KXAN.
“The greatest thing I saw was the community, organizations, and volunteers coming together," he added. "It’s incredible, and it’s been one of the greatest experiences of my life, actually.”
