Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott took part in a press conference at the Texas Firefighter Wildland Urban Interface "Train the Trainer" program, focusing on efforts to address urban wildfire threats in Texas.

"We would not be the state that we are without the firefighters that we have serving every single day," Governor Abbott said. "It requires extraordinary heroism, valor, and mental and physical ability to protect those in need. Training is a foundation of that success. We saw so many lives saved by firefighters and first responders who were on the spot, and had both the training and expertise to be able to rescue people impacted by the Panhandle wildfires, and more recently the Fourth of July Kerr County flooding. The State of Texas supports this training, and is willing to step up and fund the training our Texas firefighters need."

The Governor was joined at the event by Representative David Cook, Representative Pat Curry, Mike Wisko from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection Agency, Frank Lima from the International Association of Fire Fighters, Kyle Mills from Texas A&M Forest Service Planning and Preparedness Department, as well as other local and state officials.

Governor Abbott pointed out funding made available through Senate Bill 34—legislation he signed—to help Texas respond more quickly and effectively to wildfires. He also referenced new emergency response reforms passed during this legislative session aimed at improving communication between firefighters about their needs when responding to emergencies.

Additional photos from this event will be released when available.