FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT FIRE OPERATIONS

Federal agencies primary response is to their designated public land area, however these fire resources can respond to mutual aid calls neighboring the property. Federal resources can be mobilized to assist the Texas A&M Forest Service for state response or be mobilized out-of-state to assist on other public lands.

National Forests and Grasslands in Texas
Fish & Wildlife Service – Southwest Region
National Park Service
Bureau of Indian Affairs – Southern Plains Region

TFS FIRE OPERATIONS

Since its inception in 1915, one of the primary missions of Texas A&M Forest Service has been the suppression and extinguishing of forest fires. In 1993, the mission was expanded to include the coordination of response to each major or potentially major wildland fire in the state.

Texas uses a tiered approach to wildfire response and suppression. Local fire departments and counties are the first responders, with state response being activated as wildfires or conditions exceed the local ability to control. In Texas, TFS is the lead agency for wildfire response. As the suppression resources of TFS and other state agencies are depleted, out-of-state resources are brought in, under state control, to meet essential needs.

TFS Fire Operations Command Staff
TFS Regional Fire Coordinators
TFS Regional Fire Coordinators Listing
TFS Task Force Coordinators
TFS Fire Resource Locations

LONE STAR STATE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM (IMT)

On any given day in Texas, the Lone Star State Incident Management Team (LSSIMT) may be called upon to provide leadership for any variety of disasters occurring at opposite ends of the state or in other states across the country.
Whether it is a raging wildfire in North Texas, a flood in South Texas, the recovery of the Columbia Shuttle in East Texas or a Hurricane along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, LSSIMT has been there. LSSIMT is an all-hazards incident management team (IMT) that works on the same organizational skills used in suppressing wildfires. IMTs have the capability to organize and manage the response to disasters by employing the Incident Command System (ICS).

The teams will receive a mission, plan an appropriate response, execute the plan, and support the personnel and equipment involved in the operations. The ICS allows the team to organize and respond to any type of disaster including wildland fires, hurricanes and the Columbia Shuttle recovery effort.

LSSIMT members are capable of remaining active on an incident for up to 21 days at a time and must be self-sustaining for 72 hours. When a disaster occurs in Texas and it exceeds the capabilities of the local government, LSSIMT may be ordered by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to respond.

Qualification Documents & Rosters

LSSIMT Guiding Documents

IMT Response Documents

ALL-HAZARD INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM (AHIMT)

The Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS), in cooperation with the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) has developed the State of Texas Type 3 All Hazard Incident Management Team (AHIMT) program as an added component to wildfire and all-hazard response.

These teams are formed by personnel from local jurisdictions who are trained and qualified in Command and General Staff positions and are mobilized by TFS to provide incident management support statewide as needed.
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TEXAS INTRASTATE FIRE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM

TIFMAS (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System) is maintained by Texas A&M Forest Service. The program includes grants, training and qualifications and mobilization systems to make statewide use of local resources.
The program was first used during Hurricane Ike, and has since been used in responses such as to the Presidio flooding, wildfire outbreaks across Texas and Hurricane Alex & Harvey.
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HANDCREWS

A handcrew is an as needed, versatile 20-person state and national resource. Duties include hiking to remote locations of fires using hand tools to cut containment line, suppress hotspots, support firing operations, and fuels mitigation. Handcrew participation provides an excellent opportunity to learn leadership skills, fire behavior, fireline organization, and natural resource management. Participation is voluntary.

ALAMO REGULARS INTERAGENCY HANDCREW
The Alamo Regulars is a Type 2 Initial Attack handcrew formed by interagency resources from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, National Park Service and Texas A&M Forest Service. These agencies coordinate together to form a handcrew. The leadership of the crew rotates between the agencies and gives opportunity for experience and training.

Alamo Regulars Handcrew Operating Guidelines

LONE STAR STATE HANDCREW

The Lone Star State Handcrew is a Texas A&M Forest Service sponsored handcrew with full-time TFS employees. These employees voluntarily apply on an annual basis for participation on the crew. This crew is a Type 2 Initial Attack handcrew that meets national standards.

View the 2019 LSS Crew Story Map of what the Lone Star State Handcrew has accomplished in 2019.