ABILENE, TX – On Monday, July 18, 2022, at approximately 5:15 p.m., an underground fire suppression system at the Abilene Police Department burst, causing significant flooding and water damage throughout much of this building. No other City facilities were affected.
The Department’s Dispatch Center operations were quickly moved to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located at City Hall. The transition was seamless, and emergency services went uninterrupted thanks to the swift actions taken by on-duty Telecommunicators and Officers.
Multiple City divisions, including Facilities, Fire, Water, Communication Services, and I.T., responded and provided critical assistance.
The Department immediately partnered with professional cleaning and restoration technicians to begin the long recovery process. Many offices and meeting rooms are unusable, and personnel will be relocated for an extended period.
The extent of the damages is still being assessed, but we anticipate this will take many months to return our facility to normal operations. The Department’s front lobby was unaffected and remains open to the public during regular business hours.
Respectfully,
Rick Tomlin
Public Information Coordinator