CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — First responders have a lot on their plate when handling emergencies during holiday weekends. Some Port Aransas residents said they have noticed a slower response time this past Memorial Day.
One resident, Nancy Branson, has been living in Port Aransas for years and said she's also seen response times slow down around the holidays.
Even on the street she lives, she said there's been a lot more activity that has caused officers to come around more frequently.
"The people who have moved in on this street have just become a nuisance," Branson said. "Golf carts racing through the streets, adults out with their beverages, and someone passed out down the street. One the police finally arrive, they couldn't even get to the person because there's so much activity."
But other residents say they've had to wait more than thirty minutes before law enforcement arrived to their emergency calls.
One incident that happened this past weekend involved several people who were injured and sent to the hospital when a balcony collapsed at a rental home. During this particular incident, a source told KRIS 6 News that it took police a long time to arrive to this past week.
Port Aransas Police Chief Scott Burroughs said the department received more than 300 calls during the Memorial Day holiday. As a result, the department had to use other agencies to help, something that is pretty typical.
"We typically call in other resources (like) the State Highway Patrol and Texas Parks and Wildlife are our strongest partners," Chief Burroughs said. "We eventually get to everything that comes in, but sometimes it takes a little longer than others."
The next big holiday will be the Fourth of July and some residents said they're worried that emergency crews will not have enough on staff to help with calls.
Chief Burroughs said he expects nearly all of his 25 officers will be available and responding to calls. He said response times shouldn't be longer than five minutes, but he urges people to be a little more patient when it comes to the responses.
"We can't send more resources than we have," Chief Burroughs said, "We can do the best we can, we've been doing this for a long time with very limited resources, so we can do it again."
Like other big holidays in Port Aransas, the chief said the department continue working with other agencies to keep everyone safe.
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