Governor Greg Abbott spoke at the Texas Firefighter Wildland Urban Interface “Train the Trainer” program press conference, focusing on the challenges of urban wildfire threats in Texas.
“We would not be the state that we are without the firefighters that we have serving every single day,” Governor Abbott said. “It requires extraordinary heroism, valor, and mental and physical ability to protect those in need. Training is a foundation of that success. We saw so many lives saved by firefighters and first responders who were on the spot, and had both the training and expertise to be able to rescue people impacted by the Panhandle wildfires, and more recently the Fourth of July Kerr County flooding. The State of Texas supports this training, and is willing to step up and fund the training our Texas firefighters need.”
The Governor was joined at the event by Representative David Cook, Representative Pat Curry, Mike Wisko from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection Agency, Frank Lima from the International Association of Fire Fighters, Kyle Mills from Texas A&M Forest Service Planning and Preparedness Department, as well as other local and state officials.
During his remarks, Governor Abbott referenced Senate Bill 34. He signed this bill into law to provide additional funding aimed at improving wildfire response across Texas. The Governor also pointed out new emergency response reforms passed during this legislative session that are intended to improve communication between firefighters about their needs during emergencies.
Photos from the event will be released when available.
