Texsar

The TEXSAR story TEXSAR stands as one team, one family, one mission…as Texans helping Texans. TEXSAR was founded in 2004. Its roots are as a volunteer fire department; it has expanded greatly from its origins. There are now four divisions that encompass the state: North Texas, Gulf Coast, South Central and Central. TEXSAR volunteers go through rigorous training; they currently hold more than 2000 certifications. Training is self-funded by volunteers. Much of the growth followed 2015 when TEXSAR appeared on the radar of many agencies because of its response to the tragic Hill Country Memorial Day floods of that year. TEXSAR’s current President/CEO started as a volunteer during that time; he accepted his current position in 2020, one month before the lockdowns began. During the pandemic period, TEXSAR volunteers also served at testing centers and for other needs that befit the times; those experiences led to a vision for a Community Service Branch that would place volunteers into roles that require less specialized skills. TEXSAR’s activity level in 2022 reveals the level of commitment of its leadership and volunteers: 71 deployments; 27,077 hours; and, 99,800 miles. 2023 was a year of transformation for TEXSAR. --With a goal to establish a Missing Persons Unit in 2023, the funds were secured in February and a retired assistant chief of the Texas Rangers accepted the lead role of the MPU in March. The MPU has already been called upon many times for its knowledge, insights and volunteers; it has been critical to the solving of two cold cases already. There are more than 7,000 cases of missing persons in Texas and another 900+ unidentified missing persons, all of which are part of the 48,000 missing person entries annually. Few agencies have the resources necessary to expedite solutions. TEXSAR is helping to fill the gap, serving as a resource of expertise, personnel and tools. -- In April, OneStar Foundation presented TEXSAR with the Governor’s Volunteer Award for Excellence in Disaster Volunteerism. -- In the spring, a new tier system was established for volunteers to help their ongoing development of skills, thus providing a variety of qualifications to match most any need that is requested. -- In Q3 2023, the beginnings of a new Community Service Branch were put in place. The Mary Moody Northen Foundation graciously made a generous contribution to fund initial equipment needs for this new branch. TEXSAR: Texans helping Texans with service above self.