Contractors, industry leader team up for area EMTs

Donated materials, roofing work strengthen first responder training space

Roofing giant GAF partnered with local contractors to help shore up a recently expanded training space for Bastrop County’s first responders.

New roofs were installed this month at the Texas Public Safety Training Academy (TPSTA) in Bastrop, improving classroom space for local EMTs and firefighters. The academy, an emergency services training organization serving Bastrop, Caldwell, Fayette and Lee counties, added 10 acres and two doublewide trailers for training that desperately needed improvements, according to project organizers.

“After years of persistent leaks and wind damage, the campus needed a longterm solution,” GAF Chief Marketing Officer Chris Rector said. “The donated roof not only helps protect the facility, it also allows TPSTA to redirect resources towards its core mission of training first responders.”

GAF, one of the largest roofing manufacturers in North America, partnered with area contracting company Mpact Roofing and building materials distributor QXO to restore and strengthen the training facility’s infrastructure.

The project is part of GAF’s Community Matters social impact initiative focused on providing resources and products to make a positive impact in communities, according to Rector.

“This project highlights the critical role TPSTA plays in protecting the people and places we care about,” Rector said. “By helping to repair and restore these facilities, this effort will have a lasting impact.”

Mpact reroofed both classroom buildings at no cost to the academy using shingles donated by GAF, while QXO coordinated delivery and supplied roofing accessories.

Previous challenges for the academy included a setback during campus expansion when classroom buildings were vandalized, delaying progress and putting a strain on resources. Despite the obstacles, the academy is moving forward with the support from local partners.

“GAF’s ability to supply roofing materials for initiatives like this one relies on the shared commitment of local certified contractors like Mpact roofing,” Rector said. “Together with QXO … the effort demonstrates that supporting essential organizations is a team effort, requiring extensive coordination and logistics to deliver the right materials and personnel.”

By restoring the classrooms, the partners said the project represents not only an investment in local public safety, but in education and community.