EMAT Board of Directors Spotlight
Brad Britten, MPA, CEM, TEM, IERS
Brad Britten is currently the Interim Secretary and an At-Large for the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT). Over the course of the last 19 plus years, Britten has worked as a practitioner with local government agencies, state government agencies, and developed public-private partnerships within the private sector emergency management arena. Britten remains active in supporting the local and state emergency management as currently serving as a Health Physicist I/Emergency Planner with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) supporting the US Department of Energy (DOE) Pantex Plant Agreement-in-Principle (AIP) with the State of Texas and the local jurisdictions within the 10-Mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) surrounding the DOE Pantex Plant.
Britten has served on the EMAT Board of Directors since 2018 representing Region 5 as At-Large Director and serving as the Interim Secretary from February 2020. Britten is an active member of the Potter Randall Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and has served previously as Secretary and Information Coordinator. In addition, Britten is an Agency Instructor with the Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). Britten has served within the Municipal Program of ESTI since 2015, delivering high quality training directly to emergency response departments and agencies across Texas. This diverse training combines classroom knowledge with hands-on training that satisfies both certification and continuing education requirements for emergency responders and emergency managers alike. has served on a number of local, regional, state, and federal committees and advisory boards representing and promoting emergency management.
With a background in public government emergency response beginning in the Texas Panhandle in 2001, Britten has had the opportunity to work with some of best and brightest emergency management and emergency response personnel in the United States. Britten has been active in the volunteer fire service in Texas since 2001, serving respectively with the following departments across Texas: White Deer Volunteer Fire Department, Brazos County Precinct 3 Volunteer Fire Department, Merkel Volunteer Fire Department, Van Alstyne Fire Department, Randall County Fire Department, and Childress Fire Department. From March 2010 to May 2012, Britten served with the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) as Regional Fire Coordinator (RFC) in the Bryan/College Station Region and the Abilene Region. From May 2012 to December 2014, Britten served with the Texas Department of Public Safety/Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) as District Coordinator in the Disaster District 22 – Sherman District. From December 2014 to December 2017, Britten servd as Technical Hazards Coordinator with the Amarillo/Potter/Randall Office of Emergency Management (A/P/R OEM). From December 2017 through September 2019, Britten served as Senior Liaison Field Manager with Energy Technologies, LLC (Enertech), managing delivery of pipeline public awareness liaison programs across Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Colorado.
Britten is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a Master of Public Administration (Non-Profit Management Concentration). Britten holds a bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University, and three associates’ degrees. He is a Texas Advanced Firefighter (TCFP), a Texas Master Firefighter (SFFMA) and holds Hazardous Materials, Fire Instructor, Emergency Medical Technician, and other Fire certifications. Britten is a Certified Emergency Manger (CEM), a Certified Texas Emergency Manager (TEM), credentialed as an Industrial Emergency Response Specialist with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), and a Certified Texas Teacher through the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC).
Britten is active in his community, supporting charitable and service organizations. Britten resides in Childress, Texas with his wife Alison and their four children, Emma, Teagann, Owen and Rhett.
Previous EMAT Board of Directors Spotlight
Steve Rosa
Steve Rosa currently serves as the Emergency Management Coordinator for Brazoria County.
Steve have worked at Brazoria County for 14 years, starting as the Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator in the Bio-Terrorism division of the health department for 3 years. He then accepted the position of Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator and held that position for 3 years. In 2010 he was appointed by County Judge E.J King as the Emergency Management Coordinator. He was reappointed to this position on January 1, 2015 by County Judge L.M. “Matt” Sebesta Jr.
May 7, 2010 – Steve received his appointment as a Licensed Peace Officer in the State of Texas. OEM in Brazoria County is a division of the Sheriff’s Office.
Steve served a firefighter for 28 years, including 12 of those years as Fire Chief of Bunker Hill Fire Company # 1.
He also served as the City Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Bunker Hill, Illinois for 10 years.
Steve worked 12 years as a Nationally Certified EMT on an ambulance crew.
Steve has 30 years’ experience as an amateur radio operator (HAM) and is a nationally certified Severe Weather Storm Spotter for the National Weather Service.
Steve joined the United States Air Force after graduating high school and served as a Missile Maintenance Technician, completing his course work at the Community College of the Air Force, and then working on ICBM nuclear missiles in underground silos in Wyoming.
Steve is celebrating 42 years of marriage, has 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
Patrice Reisen Hicks, CEM, TEM
Patrice Reisen-Hicks began working for the University of Texas System as the Emergency Management Coordinator in January 2013. While working in this position, Patrice has built effective partnerships between the UT institutions, local jurisdictions, and state agencies in order to strengthen emergency management in the State of Texas. With Patrice’s leadership and guidance, UT institutions are active in preparing for and responding to disaster events.
Prior to the University of Texas System, she worked for the Travis County Office of Emergency Management as an Emergency Planner. As an Emergency Planner, she gained significant experience in the areas of grants management, emergency planning, exercises, and business continuity. Her professional experience began in 1996 with the Texas Highway Patrol and she has also held a position with the Texas Division of Emergency Management for three years. During her emergency management career, Patrice has worked responses to several emergencies and declared disasters including Hurricanes Dolly, Gustav, and Ike, Tropical Storm Hermine, wildfires during the 2011 drought in Travis County, the 2015 Bastrop County Hidden Pines wildfire, numerous floods and winter storms, the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, the Ebola outbreak in 2014, the UT Austin active shooter incident in 2010, and planned events such as Formula One and the nationally acclaimed Urban Shield Full-Scale Exercise. Most recently, she assisted UT institutions during Hurricane Harvey and was responsible for the systemwide response.
Patrice holds an Associate of Arts degree in Mass Communications and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. She is certified as a Master Continuity Practitioner in Business Continuity and as an Incident Command System Instructor. She also holds the Texas Emergency Manager and Certified Emergency Manager designations. Patrice is an active member of the Emergency Management Association of Texas and has served on the Board of Directors since 2013. She currently chairs the Bylaws Committee and serves on the Membership & Marketing and Symposium Committees.