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TDEM chief Nim Kidd praises mutual aid, urges continued readiness
Summary
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, delivered a keynote at the Austin Fire Department awards ceremony praising interagency mutual aid since Oklahoma City and 9/11 and urging improved communication, training and technology to meet modern emergency demands.
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told an awards audience in Austin that mutual aid and statewide coordination have changed markedly since Oklahoma City and 9/11 and urged continued investment in training and communication.
Kidd recounted early resistance to crossing jurisdictional lines and said the state and region have built systems that allow responders to assist beyond city borders. “We built foundations for how everybody in this room responds today and across this nation,” Kidd said, adding that communication, technology and training should keep improving.
He praised Austin firefighters’ contributions to statewide deployments and mutual‑aid missions, highlighting that roughly 467 Austin Fire Department members have deployed under the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid Program over the past 18 years. Kidd said those deployments and task force experiences strengthen local capabilities when crews return with new skills.
Kidd also thanked families and colleagues who support responders’ work, and concluded his brief remarks by expressing gratitude for the department and its members’ willingness to step up in crises.
Kidd’s remarks were delivered as part of a recognition ceremony and did not include new policy announcements or funding commitments. The keynote framed the awards program as part of a broader culture of mutual support and continuous improvement in emergency response.
