20 Years, 20 Stories – Greg Fair: Hunter to Rescuer
Years Active: 2015-Present
“In preparation for a backcountry Wyoming elk hunt, I found that I needed to know how to not get lost. I ultimately found my way to TEXSAR,” said TEXSAR volunteer Greg Fair. “The idea of being of service to others while being outside appealed to me. It was the Wimberley Memorial Day flood event of 2015 that had me fall in love with this work.”
Greg joined TEXSAR in April 2015 after completing Community Emergency Response Team training in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The training made him hungry for more; the floods provided the “more.”
“Our team was looking for three kids,” Greg said. “I was in awe of the sheer power of the water. Its devastation and impact were incredible. I knew then, without a doubt, that this work was ‘real.’ People depended on us.”
Hunting had instilled in him that you have to be prepared for various situations. All the preparation in the world can still leave a person unprepared for devastating forces, however. “At times, people need people who are supportive. It is important, though, to be able to separate the emotional aspect of seeing people in need from the detachment required to focus on the matters at hand.”
Greg has seen a lot of such situations. “You see a lot of the real parts of life in this work,” he said. “You have to protect yourself from getting jaded. The best counteractive is realizing the great good that is coming from the things you do as a volunteer. Part of the great thing about TEXSAR is that members are active, capable and organized, which helps create connections to each other on missions and outside of them. We’re here for each other because we realize the challenges and the positives that come from what we do.”
Greg believes it is those traits that help TEXSAR teams function so well in large-scale emergencies. “Hurricane Harvey was my biggest deployment,” he said. “Large-scale missions are interesting as people of different backgrounds come together as cohesive teams under the leadership of a team lead. Since TEXSAR members undergo similar training, we fit together as a team no matter where we come from to get to the mission. We train the same way so we speak the same language and connect immediately. Those that have the TEXSAR uniform are people you can trust as mission partners and as friends. They are family.”
His appreciation for the value of quality training inspired him to begin teaching classes, too. Greg also shares his knowledge and abilities in his community with law enforcement agencies and other force multiplier organizations. “It is very satisfying to share knowledge with others, similar to how it felt when I coached little league. It is fun, and it is great to see others develop their skills and confidence. Someday a total stranger will depend on those skills that the students are learning.”
His love of outdoors was one of the early factors that encouraged Greg to seek opportunities to serve that would enable him to be outside of four walls. A variety of missions and training opportunities provide plenty of chances to be outside. Whether learning vertical rescue techniques or search planning from the US Coast Guard or any of a number of other important skills, Greg knows he is among kindred spirits who are learning so that when someone is in need, they are ready to respond. Wherever. Whenever.
Learn more about TEXSAR at www.TEXSAR.org.
TEXSAR: 20 Years, 20 Stories, is a series of people-centric stories that celebrate the history of TEXSAR’s heroics and humanity as its volunteers continue their mission of ‘Texans helping Texans’ with Service above Self. The sequence of stories and profiles will come together in 2024 and 2025, celebrating the nonprofit’s 20th anniversary. To read more, click here.
