Texas Communities Benefit from the Expanded Services of TEEX’s Extension Program
Services are funded by the State of Texas Through the Keeping Texas Prepared Initiative
With funding appropriated by the Texas Legislature in 2023, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) expanded its Extension Program throughout Texas to offer training and technical assistance in three critical disciplines essential to Texas communities: Fire and Emergency Services; Law Enforcement and Protective Services; and Critical Infrastructure/Water and Wastewater Management and Recovery.
The program provides state-funded classroom and hands-on training and on-site technical assistance to local communities. The program is part of the Texas A&M University System’s Keeping Texas Prepared initiative to ensure the A&M System service agencies and teams are equipped to prepare communities to respond to local and statewide emergencies.
“The goal of the Extension Program is to prepare our community leaders to be proactive in serving their community and in responding to emergency situations,” said David Coatney, TEEX agency director. “We are meeting a need that wasn’t easily met before by bringing no-cost training and technical assistance directly to Texas communities. The desired result is to save lives, protect property, maintain infrastructure and ensure the economic viability of Texas communities.”
Through the initiative, TEEX has provided more than 1,200 training deliveries and technical assistance sessions in over 300 Texas communities between September 1, 2023 (when the funding became available), and January 28, 2025.
From communities like Comanche and Alpine, to metropolitan areas as large as Fort Worth and Houston, 27,500 participants from more than 1,000 Texas communities and 2,000 organizations have benefited from the deliveries. This is an increase of 42% due to funding provided by the Keeping Texas Prepared initiative. Of special note, was a 61% increase in class participants from non-metropolitan areas such as rural towns and small cities. These areas often have the greatest need for training and technical assistance because of limited budgets and growing populations.
“Having Aaron Ramos of the TEEX Extension team use the agency’s equipment to help us locate and repair water leaks over the past year was a tremendous help to the City of Alpine,” said Johnny Marquez, utilities manager for the city. “We sincerely appreciate the time and effort to assist our staff.”
“TEEX’s Extension Program has played a crucial role in advancing the readiness and capabilities of the San Angelo Fire Department,” said Fire Chief Patrick Brody. “Through comprehensive training and educational programs, they have equipped our first responders with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively tackle the diverse challenges faced by the fire service today. Their efforts ensure that our team is prepared, resilient and responsive in any emergency.”
“TEEX has always helped our department stay up to date in our training with their expert instructors,” said Chief Pat Olivas of the Fort Davis Volunteer Fire Department. “I know from personal experience that TEEX is a great place to learn about the fire industry and become a certified firefighter. In our line of work, it is necessary to continually train in order to ensure everyone goes home safely.”
Extension Program staff can provide training and technical assistance in other high-demand areas such as hurricane preparedness and tornado recovery, first responder mental health and wellness, crime scene and arson investigations, and the hazards associated with electric vehicle fires, among many others.
These services are provided through six regions that cover the entire state, and the TEEX regional managers and coordinators live in the regions they serve. They are experienced leaders familiar with the challenges and needs of local agencies and response organizations. To learn more about the services offered and the TEEX region in which your county is located, visit: http://TEEX.org/Extension.
About TEEX
The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) is an internationally recognized leader in emergency response training, workforce training and technical assistance. In 2024, TEEX trained more than 225,000 participants from every U.S. state and territory and 124 countries worldwide.
Major TEEX programs include Fire and Emergency Services, Infrastructure and Safety, Law Enforcement and Protective Services, and Business and Cyber Solutions. Additionally, through its National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center (NERRTC), TEEX provides federally funded homeland security training and technical assistance for communities across the nation. The agency also sponsors the Texas A&M Public Works Response Team (TX-PWRT) and the Texas A&M Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) Urban Search and Rescue Team.
Distributed by:
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service
Vita Vaughn | Director of Marketing and Communications/CMO