[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HOMETOWN HERO GRAPEVINE POLICE OFFICER PATRICK O'NEAL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETH VAN DUYNE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 5, 2023

  Ms. VAN DUYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our Texas-24 
Hometown Hero, Grapevine Police Officer Patrick O'Neal. In 2017, 
Officer O'Neal stalled working on a project to help law enforcement 
find any area or room on a school campus in an emergency, within 
seconds. After realizing this could be lifesaving for officers who are 
responding to an emergency at a school campus they may not be familiar 
with, Officer O'Neal embarked on his mission of numbering every door 
and hallway in Grapevine ISD, then creating digital maps of the floor 
plans to share across departments.
  It took years to gather the information for all the schools in the 
district. The maps include detailed information about all doors, their 
accessibility to police, the most efficient points of entry and 
directions to specific classrooms, and even indicate which doors 
require keys to open. As a result of Officer O'Neal's work, Grapevine 
Police now have detailed maps of each campus in Grapevine ISD which the 
police department can access via a digital system on their phone.
  Earlier this year, Officer O'Neal was honored with the 2023 State of 
Texas Law Enforcement Achievement Award for Public Services at the 
State Capitol. I'd like to thank Officer O'Neal for his tireless 
efforts and profound dedication to keeping North Texas students and 
staff safe.

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