WHEN TEXAS CALLS, WE ANSWER
Service means stepping forward when others need you most. Across Texas, people throughout The Texas A&M University System prepare for the moments no one wants to face. And when disaster strikes, they answer the call, bringing skill, courage, and a commitment to serve wherever they’re needed. They stay at work until the job is done.
READINESS IS A RESPONSIBILITY
Disasters do not wait until communities are ready. That is why preparedness across The Texas A&M University System begins long before an emergency.
Every year, A&M System experts train hundreds of thousands of first responders and professionals to perform under pressure. Teams prepare to mobilize at a moment’s notice. Statewide resources are positioned to respond to wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and other threats. And communities receive the planning and expertise they need to become better prepared themselves.
When the call comes, that preparation becomes action. From search and rescue to emergency management and wildfire response, A&M System teams serve on the front lines when lives, property, and communities are at risk. And when the immediate danger has passed, the mission continues through recovery, rebuilding, and long-term support.
200+ Deployments
by Texas A&M Task Force 1 Since 1997
230,000+ People Trained
by TEEX in FY2025 to Strengthen Workforce and Public Safety Readiness
More Than $25 Billion
in Federal Aid and Disaster Grants Managed Through TDEM Programs
PREPARING PEOPLE BEFORE THE MOMENT COMES
When an emergency happens, there is no time to start learning how to respond.
The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) helps build readiness long before the call comes. In FY2025 alone, TEEX trained more than 230,000 participants, helping first responders and other professionals develop the skills they need to perform under pressure.
That training strengthens more than individual responders. It builds capability within departments, organizations, and communities, helping ensure more people are prepared to act when lives and communities are on the line.
FOUR HOURS TO MOBILIZE. YEARS OF PREPARATION BEHIND IT.
When disaster strikes, Texas A&M Task Force 1 is built to move. As one of 28 FEMA National Urban Search and Rescue teams, Texas A&M Task Force 1 can mobilize within four hours, operate independently for 72 hours, and sustain operations for up to 14 days. Since 1997, the team has deployed more than 200 times in Texas and across the nation.
And search and rescue is only one way the A&M System responds. When wildfire threatens Texas communities, Texas A&M Forest Service provides people, equipment, and expertise on the front lines. In 2025 alone, Texas experienced 5,115 wildfires that burned more than 123,000 acres, with the Forest Service supporting response through capabilities that include aviation and frontline operations. Different emergencies require different expertise. The strength of the A&M System is having people prepared to move when and where Texas needs them.
THE MISSION DOESN’T END WHEN THE EMERGENCY DOES
For communities affected by disaster, the work of recovery can continue long after the immediate danger is gone.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management helps communities navigate that next chapter, connecting disaster response with the resources and support needed for recovery. Through TDEM programs, more than $25 billion in federal aid and disaster grants has been managed to support disaster response and recovery.
That work represents another side of disaster service. Responders may leave the front lines, but communities can face months or years of rebuilding. Recovery requires coordination, resources, and sustained support as Texans repair what was damaged and prepare for what may come next.
The Texas A&M University System’s commitment continues beyond the immediate emergency because answering the call means staying for what comes after it, too.
SERVICE NEWS
Texas A&M Sets the Standard: Aggies Honored for Commitment to Foster Children’s Education
Sep. 8, 2026 • 4 min. readTexas A&M University was named the winner of the Large University award for the WHIT Program’s Campus Champions Initiative for providing more volunteer tutors than any other large university.
The Texas A&M University System Expands Early College Pathways Through Rural Education Collaborative
May 4, 2026 • 2 min. readThe Texas A&M University System is expanding efforts to strengthen early college awareness and career pathways for students across the state through the Texas Rural Education Collaborative (TREC).
Texas A&M System to Lead $59.8M Autonomous Helicopter Wildfire Response Initiative
Dec. 1, 2025 • 1 min. readTexas A&M is pioneering a bold new frontier in wildfire response with a $59.8 million state-backed initiative to develop autonomous Black Hawk helicopters capable of battling wildfires with unprecedented speed and safety.
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