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Years Active: 2013-Present “We prefer to stay under the radar,” TEXSAR (Texas Search and Rescue) volunteer Joe Huston said. “We don’t see ourselves as heroes, though there are, truthfully, a lot of heroics in the work that all the team members do. Without a doubt.” Huston has been involved in the search-and-rescue arena for more than 25 years. He joined TEXSAR in 2013. “I first got involved in this work when I lived in The Woodlands...
Years Active: 2012-2020 For Carine Chalfoun’s 50th birthday party, attendees were told to dress as superheroes. And despite only one of her friends dressed as Carine, all in attendance thought of her as their favorite superhero. Carine-as-a-superhero describes her and the life she led. Six months after her party, she passed away, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of many and on the many organizations she supported and loved, including TEXSAR. According to Carine’s friends, her commitment to the first responder...
Years Active: 2014-Current “I’ve always been one to volunteer. Following my family’s example of community service, I had volunteered with church, scouts, and other local activities. My son, Brandon, was one of the founding members of TEXSAR and often told me of their service to Texas,” said long-time volunteer Penny Goering. Her son was involved in the well-publicized search and rescue of Cathy Frye in Big Bend State Park in 2013. “Though we were visiting family, Brandon...
Years Active: 2014-2022 “I believe God made us to be servants, not consumers. Our service with TEXSAR is part of that,” said Laura Norman as she discussed the involvement that she and her husband, Edward, had with TEXSAR from 2014 to 2022. As a fireman/paramedic in 2014, Edward worked for Fort Bend County Emergency Management and knew about TEXSAR. He believed it was a match to Laura’s desire to serve others. TEXSAR also met his goals...
Years Active: 2017-2025 Kevin Dickson retired from the insurance industry in 2017. Like his employer’s slogan declares, Kevin felt the need to do what good neighbors do: Be there…for others. “I worked as an adjuster, so I was accustomed to seeing the outcomes of disasters. Also, the company would encourage employees to volunteer after disasters hit and I helped in that way, too. Finding new ways to help after retiring only made sense to me,” he said.
Years Active: 2004-2022 Alan Huddleston has a special perspective of TEXSAR’s beginnings. He has been there from the outset; he has seen a lot of changes in the organization, and a constant thread that has run throughout its history. Together, change and constancy has created a unique formula for success. He can cite the many steps from the earliest beginnings when the quest to develop a search-and-rescue team led to the formation of an Austin-area chapter...
