Welcome to the Gary Tilton Firefighter Training Fund

 "It is not my job to be their friend.  It is my job to see that they are trained so that they may return home to their families." - Katy Fire Chief Gary Tilton

 So many times Chief Tilton uttered those words as he spoke of training his fellow firefighters.  Training firefighters was his passion.  He felt that with proper training, lives and property could be saved.  He felt that for a firefighter, training was not an option, but a necessary tool of the trade.  Chief Tilton passionately passed on his knowledge to thousands of firefighters across Texas during his 31 year firefighting career.  One of his proudest moments was seeing a new firefighter finally "get it".  He took great pride in knowing that when that firefighter answered the next call, he would be safer at doing his job because of the training he had received.

With Chief Tilton's sudden death in October of 2004 came a time of questions.  How do we best honor this man who was a mentor to so many firefighters?  To continue Chief Tilton's legacy, the Gary Tilton Firefighter Training Fund was established to stand in the "fiscal gap" for first responders, assisting to keep them safe, trained and ready to serve.

Since it's creation in 2005, The Gary Tilton Firefighter Training Fund (GTFTF) has provided assistance in many different facets including scholarships for individual firefighters; contributions to allow for national instructors to be brought to local training classes; assistance to the Fort Bend County Fire Field training facility; and, sponsorship of the Katy Vehicle Extrication & Rescue School.  Most recently, the GTFTF has provided wildland firefighting equipment to small rural fire departments.


Sponsorships ~ Scholarships ~ Equipment