What Texas Emergency Medical Task Force does

The Texas Emergency Medical Task Force (TX EMTF) is a state-coordinated disaster medical response system established in 2009 under the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). It was created in response to lessons learned from the 2008 hurricane season, Hurricanes Katrina/Rita, and 9/11, and operates as the designated ESF-8 (Public Health and Medical) response platform for the State of Texas. The program activates and deploys modular, scalable medical assets at the request of DSHS or TDEM during state missions, serving impacted jurisdictions, hospitals, EMS providers, and local governments across all eight DSHS Public Health Regions.

TX EMTF's core technology is a modular component architecture comprising 13 specialized response units, including Ambulance Strike Teams (AST), AMBUS ambulance buses (16 pre-positioned vehicles capable of carrying 20 litter or 24 seated patients), Mobile Medical Units (MMU, four tractor-trailer-based field hospitals configurable from 4–32 beds), Air Medical Strike Teams, Infectious Disease Response Units (IDRU), Tactical Medic Units, Radiological Response Units, Texas Mass Fatality Operations Response Teams (TMORT), Registered Nurse Strike Teams, Medical Incident Support Teams, Ambulance Staging Management Teams, and Wildland Fire Medical Support Teams. These components are staffed by over 300 EMS, fire, and air medical providers and 175+ hospitals and healthcare systems, mobilized through more than 700 signed memoranda of agreement (MOAs). Regional teams are co-located with Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) and coordinate through a State Coordination Office (SCO) that interfaces with the State Operations Center (SOC).

The program's business model is government-funded rather than commercial: services are provided at no cost to requesting jurisdictions during state activations, with funding sourced from Texas state government appropriations and federal grants from HHS and CDC. There is no commercial pricing model, no equity ownership, and no venture or private capital. Distribution is event-driven, operating through state mission activation, regional mutual aid, and an 8-person regional coordinator network. The program is recognized by HHS and CDC as a national model program for disaster medical response.

Name

Texas Emergency Medical Task Force

Legal name

Texas Emergency Medical Task Force

Website

https://txemtf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TX EMTF is a state-coordinated disaster medical response system under Texas DSHS and TDEM, deploying modular medical teams and assets (AMBUS, MMU, strike teams) across 8 regions to support jurisdictions during disasters and mass casualty events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (621910), Fire Protection (92216), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Ambulance Services (BPAIAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Operations & Dispatch (HLAJAGAC), Emergency Management & Disaster Response (EOC, Civil Defense) (BPAIAGAE), Disaster Response, Rescue & Tactical EMS (DMAT/USAR/SWAT/HAZMAT Medical) (HLAFANAH), Emergency Management & Incident Command (EOC/ICS) (EDALAEAD)

Keywords

• Disaster medical response
• Emergency medical services
• Mass casualty response
• Mobile medical units
• Ambulance strike teams

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Funded through state government appropriations and federal grants from HHS and CDC. The program was developed by Regional Advisory Councils, DSHS, and local EMS/Hospital stakeholders to fulfill emergency health care needs during disasters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Texas Emergency Medical Task Force (TX EMTF) is a state-coordinated disaster medical response system that activates and deploys specialized teams and assets on behalf of the State of Texas during disasters and mass casualty incidents. The program operates through eight regional teams and delivers modular response components including ambulance strike teams, mobile medical units, AMBUS vehicles, infectious disease response units, mass fatality teams, and wildland fire medical support.

Product overview

Texas Emergency Medical Task Force (TX EMTF) is a state-level emergency medical disaster response program that provides a coordinated suite of mobile medical units and specialized response teams. The program operates as a platform of interconnected units that can be deployed individually or in combination during disasters, mass casualty incidents, and public health emergencies. Core components include ground and air ambulance strike teams, mobile medical units (MMU) on truck trailers, AMBUS (ambulance buses) for mass casualty transport, infectious disease response units, medical incident support teams, tactical medic support, wildland fire medical support, radiological response capabilities, and mass fatality operations support. The units are staffed and coordinated through regional Emergency Medical Task Force regions across Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ambulance Strike Teams (AST) Coordinated groups of ambulances deployed for mass casualty incidents and disaster response to provide medical transport, evacuation services, and emergency treatment capacity. Strike teams are incorporated into regional response plans and available for state activation.
• Air Medical Strike Teams (AMST) Teams of 5 air ambulances with a Strike Team Leader, providing supplemental medical transport for critical and large-scale patient movement missions.
• AMBUS (Ambulance Bus) Bus-configured vehicles designed for advanced medical transport and evacuation during large-scale disasters. Configurable to support up to 20 littered patients, 24 seated patients, or a combination. Licensed as Specialty Vehicle MICU. 16 AMBUSs pre-positioned with host EMS/FD members statewide.
• Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) Tractor trailer-based field hospital configurable from 4-32 beds with medical equipment, supplies, and pharmaceutical cache designed for MMU operations. Augments and supports disaster-impacted communities with temporary healthcare infrastructure for triage, treatment, stabilization, and transfer.
• Infectious Disease Response Unit (IDRU) Pre-hospital and hospital teams with specific training to statewide standard PPE caches for caring and transporting patients with high consequence infectious diseases (HCID). Caches pre-positioned across all 8 regions.
• Medical Incident Support Team (MIST) Medical incident management personnel augmenting operations centers and command posts, serving as subject matter experts and leaders in the ESF-8 Health and Medical Arena.
• Ambulance Staging Management Team (ASMT) Public safety logistics subject matter experts in staging large numbers of assets. Manages stage site, mobilization, and tracking of activated ESF-8 resources.
• Registered Nurse Strike Teams (RNST) Teams of 5 nurses with a Strike Team Leader. Augment nursing staff shortages in disasters that are specialty specific (ED, ICU, Burn, etc.).
• Tactical Medic Support Unit Tactical medic support for large-scale/complex coordinated terror incidents. Specialized teams of 2 paramedics/APPs/physicians and an ALS/MICU ambulance.
• Texas Mass Fatality Operations Response Team (TMORT) Provides operational assistance to medicolegal authorities with site operations, morgue operations, Victim Identification Center, and Victim Information Center operations following a mass-fatality incident that overwhelms a local jurisdiction. Disaster Portable Morgue Units maintained by STRAC (San Antonio) and SETRAC (Houston).
• Wildland Fire Medical Support Team Medical teams embedded within wildland firefighting units to provide immediate medical care. EMTF assumed responsibility for caring for Texas wildland firefighters beginning March 2019 in partnership with Texas A&M Forest Service and TIFMAS.
• Radiological Response Unit (RRU) Specialized unit providing medical response during radiological or nuclear incidents with appropriate protective measures. All RRU team members attend training in partnership with the CTOS Center for Radiological Nuclear Training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 signed MOAs with fire, EMS, and hospital agencies
• +4 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaborative partnership began in fall 2018 following wildfire season after-actions. TFS works with TX EMTF to provide medical support for wildland firefighters during moderate-to-large scale state responses. EMTF assumed responsibility for caring for Texas wildland firefighters beginning March 2019.
• Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual-Aid System (TIFMAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership for wildland fire medical support coordination. TIFMAS criteria determines deployment of Rapid Extraction Modules and Wildland Paramedic Units during incidents with specific characteristics (high/low angle terrain, aggressive fire behavior, 3+ strike teams assigned).
• Department of State Health Services (DSHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary state agency partner that co-developed the TX EMTF program with Regional Advisory Councils and local stakeholders. DSHS serves as the requesting agency for state mission activations and provides regulatory oversight of the disaster medical response system.
• Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState emergency management agency that coordinates with SCO during activations. TDEM requests EMTF resources during state-level disaster responses and works alongside DSHS to determine scope and resource distribution.
• Regional Advisory Councils (8 RACs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEight regional teams align with DSHS Public Health Regions and are co-located with Regional Advisory Councils across Texas. RACs coordinate regional disaster response and host regional EMTF teams including ASTs, AMBUS, MMU, RNST, and overhead support.
• EMS & Fire Department AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 700 signed agreements (MOAs) with fire, EMS, and hospital agencies across the state. These agencies provide personnel and assets that activate during disasters, including ambulance strike teams, AMBUS vehicles, and medical personnel.
• Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTRAC serves as the regional emergency healthcare system and manages the TX EMTF program. Hosts the RMOC San Antonio MEDCOM, coordinates EMTF 8 regional team, and houses the Disaster Portable Morgue Unit for TMORT operations.
• SETRAC (Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintains the Disaster Portable Morgue Unit (DPMU) in Houston for TMORT operations. Serves as host for EMTF 6 regional team coordination.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesminorOthersFederal agency that has recognized TX EMTF as a model program nationwide. Provides federal grant funding support for the disaster medical response system.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)minorOthersFederal agency that has recognized TX EMTF as a model program nationwide for disaster medical response.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Medical Response (AMR): Nation's largest private ambulance and EMS provider; comparable in providing ambulance strike team and mass casualty transport capability though as a commercial operator rather than government program.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Federal agency that coordinates broader disaster response, including ESF-8 public health and medical support that TX EMTF aligns to; sets the national framework within which TX EMTF operates.
• Global Medical Response: Large private EMS and air medical transport company that operates ambulance strike teams and air medical assets; provides commercial capability parallel to TX EMTF's ground and air medical strike team components.
• National Disaster Medical System (NDMS): Federally coordinated system of disaster medical response teams, including DMATs, that operate across states; serves as the federal counterpart and framework reference for state programs like TX EMTF.
• HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR): Federal entity overseeing public health emergency preparedness, grant funding, and ESF-8 coordination; recognizes and funds state-level disaster medical response systems including TX EMTF.

Direct peers

• Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) - Oklahoma: State-authorized EMS delivery organization providing coordinated ambulance and emergency medical services; comparable in mission around statewide EMS coordination, though commercial rather than purely government-funded.
• California Medical Assistance Team (CAL-MAT): California's state-level deployable medical response program that fields strike teams and mobile medical units for disasters and public health emergencies; functionally analogous to TX EMTF in another large state.

Emerging players

• Medical Reserve Corps (MRC): Federal program organizing volunteer medical and public health professionals for community disaster response; overlaps with TX EMTF's volunteer/credentialed personnel model and addresses surge capacity.

Others

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emergency Response: Federal public health agency that funds and partners with state disaster medical response systems including TX EMTF; provides grant funding and IDRU-aligned standards rather than direct operational overlap.

Regional players

• REMSA (Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority) - Nevada: Regional EMS authority providing coordinated ground ambulance, dispatch, and special event coverage; comparable in functioning as a regionally coordinated EMS response system with mutual aid partners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/txemtf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/txemtf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Texas Emergency Medical Task Force