Funding / Grants

Funding is available from several sources to support tuition, fees, and some related expenses for Texas agencies and departments. Personnel and departments are encouraged to take advantage of the funding and services listed below.

No-Cost Training Texas

• Extension / NFA / Area Schools
• Leadership Development
  • Texas Fire Officer Program
  • Leadership Development Symposium 
• Texas Rural / Frontier EMS Funding

National

• Veterans Benefits
• WMD Terrorism
  • WMD/EMS Operations and Planning
  • WMD HazMat Defensive Operations
  • WMD Incident Management/Unified Command
• FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

Assistance Programs / Associations

Texas Rural Vol. Dept. Assistance Program
HB2604 / Texas Forest Service
979.458.5540

• 100% of tuition cost
• Training tuition grants under this program will be provided to a maximum of $85 per day, not to exceed $595 per trainee per school.
• Training tuition grants are limited to a maximum of $6,000 per department per school.
• The maximum amount of Training Tuition assistance a department may receive in a fiscal year (September through August) is $12,000.
• Written application for a Training Tuition grant must be received by the Texas A&M Forest Service before the course start-date. An application received on or after the course start-date is not eligible for grant assistance.
• Available for TEEX Area & Annual Schools

ALL Texas A&M Forest Service Assistance Programs

Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System / Texas Interagency Coordination Center
The 81st Texas State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1011 in 2009. The Texas Legislature amended portions of the statute governing the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. By statute, the Fire Department Emergency Program was abolished effective January 1, 2010. The program was transferred to the Texas Forest Service and going forward all funds will be used for a totally new program designed to provide reimbursement grants for firefighter training, SCBA’s, and PPE ; and for a pilot project to acquire fire and rescue apparatus’ to support the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System. This new program has been designed and approved in consultation with the Texas Fire Chiefs Association, the Texas State Association of Firefighters, and the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas.

FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
A Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, grants are awarded to fire departments to enhance their ability to protect the public and fire service personnel from fire and related hazards. Three types of grants are available: Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), and Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S). This Web site provides a description of four types of grants, which includes the Assistance to Firefights Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG). The site also offers resources to help fire departments prepare and submit grant requests.

GSA-Approved Courses
TEEX is authorized to offer its nationally and internationally recognized training programs to government employees for the best, pre-negotiated rates through our General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedules.  Find ESTI courses on the GSA-Approved Course List.