Councilmembers Call for Special Session on Emergency Response

Published on April 28, 2026

The call for coordination follows the Preston Hollow incident.

SAN ANTONIO (April 28, 2026) – In the wake of the Preston Hollow incident, San Antonio Councilmembers Marc Whyte (District 10), Marina Alderete Gavito (District 7), and Teri Castillo (District 5) are calling for an urgent special session of City Council to conduct a comprehensive review of emergency response coordination between the City of San Antonio, CPS Energy, and other municipal agencies.

The three Council Members have submitted a formal three-signature memorandum requesting that the City Manager convene the session as soon as possible. The proposed session would be a special session of full Council and is intended to produce actionable improvements to the City's emergency coordination framework.

“The residents of San Antonio deserve to know that when an emergency happens, every agency with a role to play is working from the same playbook,” said Councilmember Whyte. “The Preston Hollow incident has raised questions about whether our response system can be improved, and it is our responsibility as a Council to address them urgently and transparently.”

Councilmember Whyte also expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their partnership in bringing this matter forward on behalf of their constituents.

The proposed special session will examine:

• Current emergency response protocols and inter-departmental communication structures
• Coordination procedures between the City, CPS Energy, and emergency services
• Real-time information sharing and situational awareness during active incidents
• Resource allocation and mutual aid frameworks
• Public communication standards and transparency expectations during emergencies

The Councilmembers emphasized that the goal of the session is not to assign blame, but to build a stronger, more resilient emergency coordination system that protects all San Antonio residents, now and in the future.