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January 12, 2026
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- Elected Officials, Homeland Security
Lago Vista Public Library
Venue Address:
Public Officials Workshop course aims to give elected officials a fundamental understanding of their roles and responsibilities in managing disasters within their jurisdictions and provide the basic framework for successfully executing disaster operations.
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Understand how emergency management developed in the U.S. and the role of the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).
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Learn about TDEM services and its transition to the Texas A&M University System.
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Know the difference between a disaster and an emergency.
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Understand disaster declarations and how to request assistance, including State of Texas Assistance Requests (STAR).
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Identify the roles of city and county officials during disasters.
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Learn how local and state emergency declarations are made in Texas.
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Understand the roles of key emergency management groups, plans, and councils in Texas.
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Become familiar with TDEM divisions, regions, and disaster districts.
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Understand how the State Operations Center, Incident Support Task Force, and Emergency Support Functions operate.
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Learn about federal disaster laws, FEMA assistance programs, and other state and federal aid.
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Understand the importance of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
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Review the Texas Homeland Security Strategic Plan
Special Instructions
Register for this course through the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s (TDEM) training portal. This course also has a number of prerequisites which can be reviewed on TDEM’s website.