VALOR Award Nominees
Brent Gorman Jr.
Jason Tharp
Ryan Nicholson

Fire Chief of the Year Nominees
Les Stephens
Russel Sander

Fire Safety Award Nominees
San Marcos Fre

Click "Learn more" below to vote.   

The TFCA Bylaws Committee is putting forth several suggested amendments to the organization bylaws to be voted on by the members at the Annual Conference this April in Waco.

Click "Learn more" below to view these amendments prior to the meeting.

2022 Spring Academy – Grapevine
June 5-10, 2022
Embassy Suites by Hilton - DFW
Airport North 2401 Bass Pro Drive
Grapevine, TX 76051

2022 Fall Academy – San Marcos
Sept. 25-30, 2022
Embassy Suites - San Marcos

Click here for more information about the Embassy Hotel. 

Click "Learn more" below for registration and additional information.

"Building Resiliancy Through Leadership" 
April 11-14
Waco Convention Center

A joint statement was released on Feb. 14 that updates and replaces the previous position statement made by The National Association of EMS Physicians and the then-named National Association of State EMS Directors regarding emergency medical vehicle use of lights and siren, which was disseminated in 1994. 

The statement concludes that lights-and-siren response or transport "saves less than a few minutes  during an emergency medical response, and there are few time-sensitive medical emergencies where an immediate intervention or treatment in those minutes is lifesaving." The statement goes on to state that such emergencies can be identified through call prioritization and EMD protocols.

"For many medical calls, a prompt response by EMS practitioners without L&S provides high-quality patient care without the risk of L&S-related crashes," the report states. "EMS care is part of the much broader spectrum of acute health care, and efficiencies in the emergency department, operative and hospital phases of care can compensate for any minutes lost with non-L&S response or transport."

The joint statement was provided by the following organizations: Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration, American Ambulance Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, Center for Patient Safety, International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, International Association of EMS Chiefs, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Association of EMS Physicians, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, National Association of State EMS Officials, National EMS Management Association, National EMS Quality Alliance, National Volunteer Fire Council and Paramedic Chiefs of Canada.

Click "Learn more" below to view the full joint statement. 

Shane Glaiser was appointed Round Rock Fire Chief by unanimous vote during a special city council meeting held Feb. 10.

Glaiser was previously appointed interim chief in October 2021, following the departure of former Chief Robert Isbell, who left the city to serve as fire chief in Stephenville.

Glaiser has served the city of Round Rock's Fire Department for 27 years across all positons, including project lead for the city's Public Safety Training Center.  

"He's earned everything that he's about to have bestowed upon him," City Manager Laurie Hadley said. "I can't think of anyone better to lead this department into the future."

Members of the Frisco police and fire departments are being recognized after rescuing a 15-year-old boy last month seconds before his home was engulfed in flames.

According to officials, first responders were called to a house fire in the 11900 block of Tyler Drive on Jan. 30 and were informed that the teen was trapped on the second floor of the residence with smoke and flames spreading throughout the house.

Firefighters were able to place the ladder on a narrow strip of decking between the house and the inground pool to reach the second-floor window, and they carried the boy down the ladder and away from the burning home as the flames grew and began breaking out the windows.

What remains of a smoldering home in the Denver Heights neighborhood are the charred memories of the life lived by a 91-year woman.

San Antonio firefighters responded to a house fire in the 200 block of Utah Street on the city's east side just after 1 a.m. Thursday, where firefighters rescued an elderly man from the inferno. The man was  transported to an area hospital in critical condition.

A battalion chief on scene was notified of an unaccounted woman, which prompted an immediate search. However, the intensity of heat and flames became too dangerous for crews inside the house, leading the chief pull out the interior firefighters.

Fire crews later re-entered the home and discovered the 91-year-old woman at the rear of the structure. There have been a total of six house fire deaths across Bexar County in 2022.  

Many East Texas counties are struggling to contain brush fires that have become more common due to extreme drought conditions.

The Rusk County Fire Department said 95% of fires within the last month have been caused by unattended burning. The department responded to 26 burning fires in one weekend, but typically when there are no drought conditions that number is zero.

Officials said the main preventative measure is to never leave a fire unattended. Unfortunately, a homeowner in North Rusk County learned that lesson the hard way.

"We still see people with unattended burns that get out, such as this case," said Rusk County Fire Marshall Terry Linder. "It was a close call. Someone was inside their house with their children with the house catching on fire, and luckily they caught it in time — but if not it could've been a worse-case scenario" 

The Houston Fire Department responded to a house fire flamed by strong winds Saturday night in northeast Houston.

Officials say a couple was inside the home watching TV with a firepit flaming outside at Camden Cove Lane near West Lake Houston Parkway. HFD says the fire started to extend into the home with the help of heavy wind around 9:30 p.m.

"Just be careful. Make sure your fire is extinguished when you leave it alone or when you go to bed," said HFD District Chief Joseph Leggio. "I think in this case, they still had some embers burning in the outdoor fireplace, and it extended through the wind, pushing it toward the house."

One firefighter suffered a minor neck injury from debris that fell on his head, and the couple suffered no injuries, according to officials. 

Eleven people are displaced and one person is unaccounted for after an apartment building went up in flames on the Northeast Side, according to San Antonio Fire Department.

The fire happened Sunday afternoon in the 4800 block of Ray Bon Drive and Village Trail Drive. Heavy fire was seen coming from one apartment before it spread to a common attic area as fire crews arrived, at which point SAFD upgraded the response to a second alarm.

Crews aggressively attacked the flames from inside but were forced out after the attic collapsed. Firefighters then had to battle the flames from the outside.

Twelve apartments were impacted by the fire and 11 people were displaced, according to SAFD. One resident is currently unaccounted for and another was taken to an area hospital for smoke inhalation. 

Fire officials are investigating an early morning fire at a North Austin elementary school. But that's not the only fire that crews had to put out overnight.

First, firefighters responded to a fire at an abandoned complex of buildings in South Austin. The fire happened just before 10 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13, on East Street and Elmo Road, near the St. Elmo Brewing Company and Still Austin Whiskey Co.

Officials have not said if anyone was hurt in this fire, what caused the flames nor how much damage was done. However, the fire department did say a building at that complex has caught fire before.

Then, a portable at McBee Elementary School on West Braker Lane caught fire just after 3 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 14. Austin Fire Department crews had the fire under control by around 3:30 a.m.

Fire officials said no one was hurt or inside the portable.

Austin and Travis County firefighters battled a brush fire that burned at least two structures and two vehicles between Lago Vista and Jonestown on Sunday afternoon.

According to the Austin Fire Department (AFD), the fire northwest of Austin began around 12:20 p.m. at the 19000 block of Tyler Trail near Lake Travis. The AFD said a mobile home caught fire, which spread to the surrounding brush.

Travis County ESD 1 told KVUE at least two structures and two vehicles were destroyed by the fire. Over 25 fire units and nearly 100 firefighters responded to the incident, Travis County ESD 1 said.

As of 5:20 p.m. Sunday, Travis County ESD 1 said the fire was under control, and crews were mopping up, assuring no hot spots exist. Crews were initially looking for a missing man but said he was not on the scene when the fire started.  

The minimum requirements to be on this committee include Structure certification as well as Instructor II.

Applications are being accepted until March 2, and any question you may have can be sent via email to Candace Barnnett.

Please click on "Learn more" below for more information and to view the application.