Texas HEAT

In June 2017, the Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation began a new scholarship named the Texas Hazardous Materials Education and Training Scholarship or simply TEXAS HEAT.

Battalion Chief

Travis L. Maher

Texas Hazardous Materials Education and Training Scholarships

Texas HEAT awards two scholarships every year to allow Texas HazMat Technicians to attend the IAFC Hazardous Materials Response Teams Conference in Baltimore. They include the original $2500 TX HEAT scholarship and the $2000 Travis L. Maher “HazMat is FUN!” Memorial Scholarship. Both awards are issued annually to HazMat Technicians from a Texas emergency response department, agency, or organization. Each scholarship allows two members of their hazardous materials response team to attend the conference.

Qualified applicants must be an active career or volunteer member of an emergency services department, agency or organization in the State of Texas, be a U.S. citizen currently residing in the State of Texas, and be a Texas Commission on Fire Protection Hazardous Materials Technician.

Awardees Are Selected on Five Broad Criteria

The Scholarship Committee reviews qualified applications in March of each year and selects award recipients by letter ballot. Awardees are selected on the following five criteria:

Must be TCFP Hazardous Materials Technician certified and possess previous additional training in hazardous materials response
Demonstrate potential to have a positive impact upon future hazardous materials response and training in his or her organization and the emergency response community
Provide documented personal and financial support from the applicants’ department, agency, or organization to ensure the awardees are able to attend the full conference
Analysis of two (one per applicant) favorable written recommendations submitted with the application packet

Texas HazMat Education And Training HMIC Scholarships

TX HEAT also provides two scholarships to Texas HazMat Responders each year to allow them to attend the Hazardous Materials Instructors and Commanders (HMIC) Conference. Each scholarship covers the full cost of conference registration and hotel lodging for 3 nights for one Texas HazMat Responder.

TX HEAT HMIC Scholarship applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Must be a member of a public safety HazMat Team within a local, county, or state public safety or emergency management agency in Texas and be legally organized under state law
Must be currently serving as a HazMat Officer, Team Leader, Program Manager, Instructor, or Logistics Officer
Must demonstrate in the application essay section how they will use the information and knowledge gained at the conference to benefit their HazMat team