VFIS of Texas

What VFIS of Texas does

VFIS of Texas is an independent insurance agency and the Texas Regional Director for VFIS (Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services) of York, PA, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas. The firm insures over 1,600 non-profit Fire and EMS organizations in Texas — volunteer fire departments, ambulance services, rescue squads, and, increasingly, Emergency Service Districts (ESDs) and municipal political subdivisions with paid first responders — making it the dominant specialized broker in this vertical and geography.

The company operates a comprehensive product portfolio across four pillars: property and casualty (including commercial ambulance, auto, general/management/excess liability, cyber, bonds, and crime), workers' compensation (underwritten primarily by Texas Mutual), accident and specialty coverages (AD&D, group term life, long-term disability, cancer/critical illness, HB471-compliant disability), and a Texas Governmental Employee Benefit Interlocal purchasing cooperative offering medical, dental, vision, and disability benefits. Supporting services include VFIS University (training), VFIS HR Help (HR compliance), the Mutual Aid Self-Assessment Tool, risk control consulting, and claims processing with dedicated specialists. Underlying technology is a conventional insurance policy management and claims platform supplemented by an online quote-request system and the Applied Pay payment portal.

Revenue is generated through recurring insurance commissions on premiums placed with carrier partners, supplemented by subscription fees on ancillary products such as the Employee Assistance Program ($2,500–$3,500 per department annually) and the VFIS Member Family Assistance Program ($11.76 per person annually). Go-to-market combines a network of licensed regional sales representatives across Texas with industry-event presence (SFFMA), grant programs that drive inbound awareness, and digital self-service for quote initiation and premium payment. The firm is part of WinStar Insurance Group, led by President Stephanie Dew since 2023 following the retirement of predecessors Barbara Marzean and Glenn Hastings.

Name

VFIS of Texas

Legal name

VFIS of Texas

Website

https://vfistx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VFIS of Texas is an independent insurance agency founded in 1985 that insures over 1,600 non-profit fire departments, ambulance services, rescue squads, and Emergency Service Districts across Texas under the VFIS Regional Director license.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Insurance for Emergency Service Organizations

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Supplemental/Voluntary Group Term Life (Employee-Paid) (FSAIADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Auto/No-Fault PPO Networks (HLAEANAI)

Keywords

• Emergency service insurance
• Volunteer fire department coverage
• First responder benefits
• Workers compensation insurance
• Commercial ambulance insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums - Property & Casualty: Collection of insurance premiums from Fire and EMS organizations for property, casualty, auto, liability, and related coverage lines
2. Workers' Compensation Insurance: Workers' compensation coverage for paid firefighters, EMS personnel, and volunteers of emergency service organizations
3. Employee Benefits: Group benefits including accident & sickness, critical illness, life insurance, disability, and supplemental health products for first responders
4. Texas Governmental Employee Benefit Interlocal: Employee benefits interlocal program providing medical, dental, vision, life and disability coverage to ESDs and affiliated first responder organizations through purchasing cooperatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VFIS of Texas is an independent insurance agency and Regional Director for VFIS that provides specialized insurance products (property & casualty, workers' compensation, commercial auto, commercial ambulance, cyber liability, bonds, employee benefits including accident & sickness, AD&D, group term life, long-term disability, cancer & critical illness, and HB471-compliant disability coverage) and supporting services (risk control, claims processing, training, HR consultation) exclusively to non-profit emergency service organizations across Texas.

Product overview

VFIS of Texas is an insurance agency and regional director for VFIS (Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services) offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and services specifically designed for emergency service organizations in Texas. The company's core offerings span property and casualty insurance (including commercial ambulance, auto, liability, and cyber coverage), workers' compensation, employee benefits programs, and specialized coverage for cancer, accidents, and HB471-compliant disability. Supporting the insurance products are training services (VFIS University, Emergency Vehicle Driver Training), risk control consulting, claims processing, and grant administration programs. VFIS of Texas insures over 1,600 Fire and EMS organizations and serves as an advocate for the first responder community at state and local levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property & Casualty Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• Insures over 1,600 Fire and EMS organizations in Texas
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• WinStar Insurance GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 2026VFIS of Texas is part of WinStar Insurance Group, headquartered at the Cedar Park location. WinStar Insurance Group was included in IIABA's Best Practices Study for 4 consecutive years.
• VFIS (Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 1985VFIS of Texas is the Texas Regional Director for the VFIS program since 1985. VFIS, headquartered in York, PA, is the pioneer of Emergency Service Organization insurance since 1969. VFIS of Texas operates as an independent producer and Regional Director under licensing agreement, using the VFIS service mark for solicitation and sale of VFIS insurance products.
• Texas Mutual Insurance CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Mutual is the primary workers' compensation carrier for many VFIS of Texas clients. Together they sponsor the Emergency Responder Health & Wellness Grant program, providing grants up to $5,000 to fire departments and EMS organizations. Texas Mutual has returned over $4.4 billion in dividends to Texas businesses since 1999.
• State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas (SFFMA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFIS of Texas is a proud sponsor of SFFMA and presents the Firefighter of the Year and EMS Responder of the Year awards at the annual SFFMA Training Conference and Convention. VFIS of Texas is deeply involved with SFFMA and other organizations shaping policies for the emergency services community.
• SAFE-D (Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFIS of Texas is a member of SAFE-D, representing over 340 emergency services districts across Texas. SAFE-D Ladder Award (their highest honor) was awarded to VFIS of Texas Retired President Barbara Marzean.
• Texas Fire ChiefsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFIS of Texas is a member of Texas Fire Chiefs association, contributing to the advancement of fire service in Texas.
• Texas A&M Forest ServicemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVFIS of Texas administers the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Insurance Program (HB 3667) in partnership with Texas A&M Forest Service, which manages the application process and grant funding from the 2% fireworks tax.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Texas Mutual Insurance Company: Texas's largest workers' compensation carrier and a strategic partner of VFIS of Texas (co-sponsor of the Health & Wellness Grant). Functions as a carrier rather than an agency, and could be considered both a partner and a competitor depending on direct-billing arrangements with the same customers.
• Markel Corporation: Specialty insurance carrier with significant public-entity, emergency-services, and non-profit exposures across multiple lines. Comparable in underwriting hard-to-place risks for first responders and volunteer organizations but operates as a national carrier rather than a regional agency.
• Cincinnati Financial: Property/casualty insurer with a select agency model serving commercial and public-sector accounts through independent agents. Comparable distribution philosophy and commercial-lines focus, though much larger and operating across multiple states and segments.
• EMC Insurance Companies: Property/casualty and workers' compensation carrier with a longstanding focus on municipalities, schools, and emergency-services organizations. Comparable customer base (public entities and first responders) but operates as a multi-state carrier rather than a regional independent agency.

Direct peers

• Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services (VFIS): Headquartered in York, PA, VFIS is the pioneer of Emergency Service Organization insurance since 1969 and the parent program whose service mark VFIS of Texas licenses. It offers the same foundational product suite (P&C, Workers' Comp, Accident & Sickness, Group Term Life) and competes for the same ESO customer base nationally.
• Heffernan Insurance Brokers: Large independent insurance brokerage serving mid-market and public-sector clients with property/casualty, employee benefits, and specialty lines. Comparable as a multi-line independent brokerage with strong public-sector practice and similar go-to-market through licensed representatives.
• Brown & Riding Insurance Services: National specialty insurance wholesale brokerage placing complex and niche risks across P&C lines. Comparable as a specialty broker operating in hard-to-place public-entity and emergency-services risks and serving retail agents needing specialty carrier access.
• Glatfelter Insurance Group: Pennsylvania-based independent insurance agency and brokerage specializing in public-sector, human services, and niche commercial risks. Comparable in operating model (independent agency with multi-line P&C and benefits), vertical specialization, and reliance on long-tenured industry relationships.
• Public Risk Underwriters: Specialty insurance program administrator focused on public-sector and governmental entity risks across multiple states. Comparable in serving political subdivisions and emergency responders with tailored coverage forms, and a competitor for the same Texas public entity accounts.
• Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool: Texas public-entity risk pool providing property, liability, and workers' compensation coverage to municipalities and related governmental entities. Directly comparable in Texas geography, public-sector customer base, and risk-pooling distribution model, though structured as a pool rather than an agency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vfistx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VFIS of Texas