Letter from the SFFMA President - January 2026

Happy New Year, fellow SFFMA members! We closed the door on 2025 and 2026 is already off to the races. This year we’re celebrating our 150th anniversary – we’ve been serving Texas firefighters since 1876.

SFFMA Staff, the Executive Board and many committee members just finished meeting to prepare for the 150th Annual Training Conference & Convention. The Planning Meeting was held January 9 in Austin. We have great things on the horizon for this year’s event. I am excited about the line up for training and the speakers that will be delivering training during our conference. I hope you will plan to attend the conference this year in Waco.

Following the conference planning, we hosted the District Leaders Symposium from January 9-11. It was great seeing everyone and talking about the future and growth of our association. I am certainly looking forward to seeing everyone again as we prepare for the Spring District Meetings.

We recently lost Ben Kennedy, a former Chaplain to our association. Ben was a friend to our association and the fire service here in Texas. He served on our board for many years and served in many other fire related associations and organizations. We give his family our deepest condolences and say, thank you for allowing Ben to be part of our lives.

As a reminder, your 2025 membership expired at midnight on December 31, however, you can still renew your 2026 membership today. This is the perfect time to get that renewal done and not delay on any benefits. If you need assistance, please feel free to reach out to our staff in Austin; they can help guide you.

I again want to take the opportunity to thank you for your service to your community and your department and I hope the New Year treats you, your family and your department well! 

Stay Safe!

Mark Wobus
SFFMA President
2025-2026