Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System
The TIFMAS, or Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, is maintained by Texas A&M Forest Service. The program includes training, qualification and mobilization systems to make statewide use of local resources. The program was first used during Hurricane Ike, and has since been used in response to the Presidio flooding, the April 9, 2009, wildfire outbreak in North Texas, Hurricane Alex and the 2011 wildfire season. The system was successful in all incidents.
Resources mobilized prior to 2011:
- 7 ladder trucks
- 13 water tenders
- 37 fire engines
- 3 rescue truck
- 368 firefighters
- 11 strike team leaders
- 2 fire inspectors
- 22 ambulances
- 137 paramedics
TIFMAS, a product of Senate Bill 11 enacted in 2007, does not require departments to send resources to incidents. It is a voluntary process.
During the 2011 wildfire season, TIFMAS mobilized 13 times with a total of 207 departments, 1,274 firefighters and 329 engines.