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View this message on our website.
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The emergency response to Hurricane Harvey has been almost as awe inspiring as the storm itself. Thousands of first responders from across the country. Hundreds of citizen heroes. The entire Texas National Guard. A veritable army of local, state and federal public safety personnel. Texas Game Wardens and Texas State Park Police Officers were among the emergency workers putting their lives on the line. Working alongside many other first responders, more than 220 game wardens and 90 park police officers were engaged each day in the early days of the disaster in active search and rescue missions.
Texas Game Wardens brought more than 100 vessels to the table, including airboats and shallow-draft vessels. K-9 units, rescue swimmers and aviation equipment were also deployed. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department personnel alone made more than 11,000 rescues. Strike teams were fully mobilized and activated through the State Operations Center before the storm made landfall. One official referred to Texas Game Wardens as the “Swiss Army Knife” of the state emergency response efforts because of the multi-faceted support, equipment and capabilities they provide.
TPWF is proud to support Texas Game Wardens and Park Police Officers as they tirelessly protect the lives of their fellow Texans in harm’s way.
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Several Texas Game Wardens who performed harrowing rescue duty during Hurricane Harvey were also dealing with their own personal disaster: the complete loss of their homes. From Rockport to Jasper, Hurricane Harvey affected dozens of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department professionals who steward our wild things and wild places. Twelve employees saw the total destruction of their homes, and more than 50 others suffered significant storm damage. Thankfully, a TPWD Employee Relief Fund at Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation provided immediate help to these beleaguered public servants. Within days of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall in Rockport, affected TPWD employees received much-needed financial assistance as emergency relief funds were wired directly to their bank accounts.
“As a 27-year devoted TPWD employee, I want to thank the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation for extending this assistance to my family,” a Houston employee wrote in an email to TPWF offices. “As we sit and wait on FEMA and our insurance company, TPWF has been a blessing. I have immense gratitude for the immediate support the Foundation has offered!”
100% of the funds raised for the TPWD Employee Relief Fund go to help employees impacted by a disaster.
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Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation is proud to sponsor the 2017 Wild Texas Film Tour coming to 11 Texas cities September through October. The tour features Texas wildlife, adventure, and conservation short films along with characters from the films, filmmakers, wildlife biologists and other experts.
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