District Leaders Symposium

January 9-11, 2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!  

We look forward to hosting the 2026 District Leaders Symposium in Austin! The SFFMA Executive Board welcomes representatives from each SFFMA district board to attend. Takes place January 9-11, 2026, at the SFFMA Offices in Austin. The weekend kicks off with a Meet & Greet at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Hampton Inn (Buda) where you can mingle and network with other leaders from around Texas. The district leaders meeting begins Saturday morning at the SFFMA office. We will meet again Sunday morning and conclude by about noon.

The Friday night Meet & Greet includes appetizers and refreshments. The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast each morning. SFFMA will provide lunch and snacks on Saturday, sponsored in part by Heat Safety Equipment. Dinner is on your own that evening.

Those attendees who RSVPd will receive an email with all the details and room info.

See the full weekend agenda here.

The District Leaders Symposium provides the opportunity to: 

•Foster improved communication between the districts and the state association. 

•Have a venue where districts can interact with each other and discuss common issues of concern. 

•Establish a forum for further development of association goals and direction. 

•Discuss the responsibilities of the association and those of districts. 

•Cover important issues such as recruitment and retention impacting the fire service, grant program benefits for local fire departments, and other leadership items. 

•Provide valuable guidance and training for district leaders. 

•Meet with representatives from stakeholder organizations and benefit providers. 

Two members of each current District Executive Board should be chosen by the district to attend the Leaders’ Symposium — districts should provide the names of those attendees to the state office: email Kim Hilsenbeck. 

  • HOTEL ROOMS WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE ASSOCIATION (SFFMA) AT NO COST TO ATTENDEES: TWO PER DISTRICT. ***Please note - other district leaders who attend will be self-pay. SFFMA will reserve hotel rooms for those individuals.***

(Attendees are responsible for all incidental charges incurred at hotel) 

  • MILEAGE FOR THE DRIVER AND ANY MEALS THAT ARE NOT PROVIDED BY THE ASSOCIATION (SFFMA) WILL BE REIMBURSED AT THE FEDERAL PER DIEM RATE. 

  • MEALS PROVIDED BY THE ASSOCIATION FOR THIS EVENT WILL BE REIMBURSED TO THE ASSOCIATION (SFFMA) ONLY.  

We look forward to seeing all of you!