Texas State Agencies

Since 1997, the State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO) has been part of the Texas Department of Insurance, as directed by SB 371, 75th Legislature. In addition to the staff located at the Austin headquarters, SFMO employees are strategically located across the state to respond quickly to requests.

The Texas State Fire Marshal's Office will reduce the loss of life and property through prevention, education, and protection.

Ethics Statement: The Texas State Fire Marshal's Office is committed to performing all its functions for external and internal customers in a manner that upholds the highest ethical standards. These standards are a manifestation of the agency's core values and we will never settle for doing anything less than what these values exemplify. The State Fire Marshal's Office will utilize its authority in a fair and consistent manner and strive to follow best practices in all its operations. The pursuit and attainment of high ethical standards in all endeavors of this agency is the only acceptable path to our success.

Nowhere else can you find more comprehensive firefighter training and emergency services instruction than with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). Whether at the renowned Brayton Fire Training Field in College Station, Texas, or at customer-specified locations worldwide, TEEX offers high-quality emergency response training and instruction in more than 130 specialty areas.

TEEX has been providing unsurpassed fire training for emergency responders since 1929 when the State Firefighters' and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas selected Texas A&M University as the site for a permanent firefighter training school. Today, TEEX trains more than 81,000 emergency responders from all 50 states and 45 countries each year.

Texas Forest Service was created in 1915 by the 34th Legislature as an integral part of The Texas A&M University System. It is mandated by law to "assume direction of all forest interests and all matters pertaining to forestry within the jurisdiction of the state." In 2012, the agency's name was changed to Texas A&M Forest Service. Texas A&M Forest Service employs more than 375 employees in offices across the state.

The mission of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection is to aid in the protection of lives and property of Texas citizens through the development and enforcement of recognized professional standards for individuals and the fire service. The commission's authority is defined by Chapter 419 of the Texas Government Code Link to PDF file. The commission's strategic plan includes two major goals:

To provide education and assistance to the fire service

To enforce statewide fire service standards

The agency fulfills the first goal primarily through the fire protection resource library. The agency's fire service standards and certification division fulfills the second goal in four program areas: certification, training approval and testing, standards compliance, and curriculum development.

The Texas Emergency Services Retirement System (TESRS) is an agency of the state of Texas that administers a pension system for 223 volunteer fire and emergency services departments in communities statewide. In addition to providing a pension benefit, departmental membership in the TESRS means volunteers are covered by death and disability benefits. The program is a cost-effective way for departments to belong to a professionally managed fund and provide valuable benefits to their membership.