Established in 2001, the Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts (SAFE-D) represents 251 of the 334 emergency services districts (ESDs) across the state of Texas. Its primary purpose is to support the men and women of ESDs in Texas. As Texas outgrows the abilities of cities and rural volunteer fire departments, ESDs are on the cutting edge of providing fire protection and emergency medical response to large portions of the state. SAFE-D serves ESDs that provide fire protection, emergency medical services or both to an estimated eight million Texans.