Willowfork Fire Department Launches Autism Awareness Training
By The Katy News Staff
KATY, Texas (July 21, 2026) — Katy-area firefighters and public safety professionals participated Tuesday in Willowfork Fire Department’s inaugural Autism Awareness Training for First Responders, a new initiative designed to improve emergency interactions involving people with autism and other neurodiverse conditions.
Developed through a partnership between Willowfork Fire Department and Texas ABA Centers, the program provides first responders with practical information about communication, sensory considerations, behavior recognition and de-escalation.
The July 21 session was the first in a series of training opportunities scheduled at Willowfork Fire Department Station 2. Additional sessions are planned for July 24 and August 4.
The initiative supports the department’s Community Risk Reduction mission, which emphasizes education, prevention and community partnerships that improve safety before an emergency occurs.
“Working in Community Risk Reduction, I saw the need to better serve a population that is often overlooked,” said Lia Hales, Community Risk Reduction Specialist with Willowfork Fire Department. “That vision led to a partnership between Willowfork Fire Department and Texas ABA, bringing in subject matter experts to help train our personnel to better understand, communicate with and serve individuals with autism and other neurodiverse conditions.
“Our vision is to expand this program to other public safety agencies while partnering with local ABA providers, special needs schools and families to build trust, teach fire and life safety, and create a safer, more inclusive community before emergencies occur.”
What Katy-Area First Responders Learned
The educational session was presented by Stacie Collins, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with Texas ABA Centers.
Collins guided participants through subjects intended to help emergency personnel better understand how an autistic person might communicate, process sensory information or respond during a stressful encounter.
Sirens, flashing lights, unfamiliar surroundings, physical contact and several people giving instructions may add stress for some autistic individuals. Because autism affects each person differently, there is no single emergency-response method that will work in every situation.
Training can help first responders slow down an encounter, observe how an individual communicates and adjust their approach when circumstances permit.
Strategies may include using direct language, allowing additional time for a response, reducing unnecessary noise, avoiding multiple instructions and identifying a trusted family member or caregiver who can assist with communication.
These approaches may reduce confusion and improve safety for autistic individuals, their families and emergency personnel.
Why Autism Awareness Matters During Emergencies
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that can affect how a person communicates, interacts, learns or responds to the environment. Abilities, communication methods and support needs vary widely among autistic people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately 1 in 31 children who were 8 years old were identified with autism in a 2022 surveillance sample covering 16 United States communities.
The statistic demonstrates why autism awareness is becoming an increasingly important part of emergency-response preparation in Katy, across Texas and throughout the country.
An autistic person experiencing an emergency might communicate verbally, use a communication device, rely on gestures or have difficulty responding to questions. Some individuals may be sensitive to sound, light, touch or sudden changes in their surroundings.
A person who does not immediately follow an instruction may be overwhelmed, may need additional time to process the request or may communicate differently. Autism awareness training can help responders consider those possibilities before interpreting a person’s behavior.
The goal is not to make assumptions about everyone with autism. It is to give emergency personnel additional knowledge they can use while treating every person as an individual.
Building Trust Before an Emergency
Willowfork Fire Department’s Autism Awareness Training for First Responders is designed to strengthen relationships between public safety personnel and the families they serve.
For families of autistic children and adults, an emergency can involve concerns beyond the original incident. A caregiver may also be trying to explain communication needs, sensory sensitivities, safety risks or behaviors that could be misunderstood.
Creating relationships before an emergency gives families an opportunity to become more familiar with local first responders. It also allows firefighters and other emergency personnel to better understand the needs of the community.
That proactive approach is central to Community Risk Reduction, which seeks to identify local needs and reduce risks through education, preparation and collaboration.
Partnership Helps Bring Training to the Katy Area
The partnership between Willowfork Fire Department and Texas ABA Centers connects public safety experience with professional knowledge of autism and behavior.
Marcella “Marcie” Pena, Business Development Representative for Texas ABA Centers, played an important role in helping coordinate the partnership. Her previous collaborative work with Willowfork Fire Department helped establish the relationship that brought Texas ABA Centers into the initiative.
The department hopes the program can eventually expand beyond its own personnel by bringing together additional public safety agencies, autism professionals, special-needs schools, caregivers and families.
Expanding those partnerships could allow the Katy-area initiative to serve as a model for other communities seeking to strengthen autism awareness and emergency preparedness.
Autism Training for First Responders Is Growing
Public safety agencies throughout Texas and the United States are placing greater emphasis on autism recognition and response.
Texas Health and Human Services offers autism training resources for law enforcement, fire and rescue personnel. The United States Fire Administration also encourages emergency services organizations to learn more about autism and practices that may improve emergency interactions.
Programs can cover communication differences, sensory sensitivities, wandering or elopement risks, repetitive behaviors and actions responders should avoid during an encounter.
For first responders, the additional training can support a safer and more informed response. For autistic individuals and their families, it can help build confidence that emergency personnel are prepared to listen, adapt and respond with understanding.
Additional Training Sessions Scheduled
Additional Autism Awareness Training for First Responders sessions are scheduled for:
- Friday, July 24, 2026
- Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Willowfork Fire Department – Station 2 Training Room
26950 Cinco Ranch Blvd.
Katy, TX 77494
The sessions will be held at Willowfork Fire Department Station 2 and will allow firefighters from additional shifts and invited agency partners to participate.
The autism awareness initiative joins Willowfork Fire Department’s other Community Risk Reduction efforts, including home safety surveys, child passenger safety inspections, Stop the Bleed training and community education programs.
Together, these initiatives reflect an approach to public safety that begins before a call for help is placed—through preparation, communication and relationships with the people first responders serve.
For the Katy-area community, the new program represents another step toward emergency services that recognize individual needs while protecting the safety and dignity of every resident.
Autism Aware. Response Ready.
