$85,000 fire safety upgrade brings Willacy County jail up to state standards
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The Willacy County Jail is back in compliance with state standards after failing an inspection earlier this year.
The jail failed a state inspection because its fire panel wasn't working. The panel controls the sprinkler system and alerts if a fire breaks out.
Inspectors found the issue in January 2026 as the panel had stopped working just days before the inspection.
"It just shut down, and it shut down probably a couple of days before the actual inspection," Willacy County Sheriff Jose Salazar said.
Without the fire panel, staff couldn't control sensors, alarms, and sprinklers. The jail switched to a fire watch protocol while the system was down.
"They're logs that are generated that every cell gets checked every hour," Willacy County Jail Chief Administrator Dionicio Cortez said.
County commissioners approved emergency funds to replace the system. The new fire panel cost $85,000 and was installed within two weeks.
The jail passed its most recent inspection and is now back in compliance.
Salazar said he's working with commissioners to prevent future issues.
"It's been an ongoing thing for us since I began my term as sheriff. My first term. If it's not one thing, it seems to be another," Salazar said.
The jail has failed state inspections at least three times in the past six years. Channel 5 News reported one instance in 2020 and two more in 2023.
The 2023 inspections found problems with mental health screenings and inmate checks. The county hired more jailers to address those issues.
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