TEXSAR
Texans Helping Texans
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Not all cities, counties, and agencies are in a position to maintain a dedicated team for search and rescue. TEXSAR members pride themselves on being in a constant state of readiness and are geared up and ready to deploy at a moment's notice. All TEXSAR member-volunteers are certified in their respective disciplines through nationally and internationally recognized certifying entities.
We serve all citizens of Texas and deploy at the request of local and state law enforcement, fire service and emergency management agencies, the Office of the Governor, and relief organizations for the purpose of search and rescue services. Our member-volunteers look for missing children, search for elderly Alzheimer patients, aid in body recovery and evidence searches, participate in cold cases, and act as a force multiplier to other agencies during peak events.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Fire Service, Search & Rescue Service, Disaster Response Service and Emergency Education Services.
Fire Service, Search & Rescue Service, Disaster Response Service and Emergency Education Services.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of organization members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Fire Service, Search & Rescue Service, Disaster Response Service and Emergency Education Services.
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The visibility TEXSAR receives during catastrophic events where we are deployed shows an increase in new members.
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Fire Service, Search & Rescue Service, Disaster Response Service and Emergency Education Services.
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This metric represents the total number of hours that TEXSAR members contributed to this organization throughout the year.
Number of missions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Fire Service, Search & Rescue Service, Disaster Response Service and Emergency Education Services.
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
TEXSAR only deploys at the request of an official government agency. This metric represents that number of call outs TEXSAR received during the year.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our goals are incorporated into our mission statement: "Committing to service-above-self, perpetual training, and inter-agency cooperation to maintain a constant state of readiness for search, rescue, incident response and above all else, safety."
Ultimately, TEXSAR aims to serve all citizens of Texas and to assist those agencies which need our resources, whether it is to save lives of those who find themselves in harm's way, search for a missing toddler, help locate an elderly citizen with Alzheimer's, or act as force multiplier for cold cases. We are committed to inter-agency cooperation and immediate support when called-upon, and to respond in a moment's notice.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
TEXSAR continues to be focused on becoming the greatest nonprofit first responder organizer in the State of Texas. TEXSAR knows it must:
- Provide amazing membership experiences by recruiting new members statewide, training them fully, engaging them in quality deployments, recognizing their hard work in meaningful ways, and by acquiring (or building) a top-notch TEXSAR facility for the above purposes (as well as to store and protect our life-saving equipment).
- Achieve Type II Wildland and Swift Water SAR Rescue Specifications by recruiting members with an interest in this specific area (statewide), training them fully, and acquiring the equipment required for rapid response strike teams statewide.
- Build a robust fundraising program with diverse income streams, from grants and general donations to special events and perhaps at some future point in time, fee-based educational programming. To do this, TEXSAR must nurture its existing donors and in-kind contributors while expanding its base of support from individuals, families, foundations, corporations and potentially government agencies. As part of this effort, cultivation of the media and a more active social media presence will be required.
- Develop an office with a physical location, and bring all professional management functions in-house. TEXSAR will either lease or build a new facility to house and protect is growing inventory, to house its permanent office, and to provide a comfortable venue for training volunteers of all types. This will most likely require a capital campaign within the next two years, and the hiring of appropriate professional assistance specifically for this endeavor.
- Build an effective Board of Directors by engaging new, non-emergency response volunteers, including able candidates from across the state. TEXSAR must also establish and staff effective committees for membership; training; logistics and finance.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
TEXSAR has operated a highly professional but entirely voluntary organization of first responders for over a decade. TEXSAR relies on donations to operate and have now launched into pursuing donations and assistance from foundations, corporations, and individuals.
TEXSAR enjoys the support of over 400 highly trained and certified volunteers with expertise in a wide variety of subject matters, from emergency management to field expertise to Internet technologies.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
TEXSAR has responded provided critical, life-saving support for many emergency events, among them:
Disaster Relief (including Hurricanes Harvey, Katrina, Rita, Ida, Ike, and Isaac)
Central Texas Floods
Large Event Safety & Support
Missing Person Searches
Support/Rehab for Central Texas Fires
Victim Extractions and First Aid
Air Search Operations
Canine Searches
Water Searches
Shelter Operations
COVID-19 Testing and Vaccinations
TEXSAR is eager to expand its capabilities to respond to emergencies across Texas. With members across Texas, TEXSAR has become the largest wildland search and rescue organization in Texas.
We do intend to lease or build a TEXSAR facility within the next few years to bring all our critical life-saving equipment in-house, and to serve as the venue for regular training sessions (which occur year-round). The new facility will also include office space and will become the hub of all TEXSAR activity. Research is underway to identify facility options at the present time.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
TEXSAR
Board of directorsas of 07/24/2023
Mr. Andrew Tull
Mr. Tim Dorn
Justen R. Noakes
H-E-B
Shawn Hohnstreiter
Hohnstreiter, LLC
Andrew Tull
The Hon. Beth Smith
Chris Juban
Chris Han
Joe Gleinser
Julie Schnacke
Tim Dorn
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes