To support and enhance the state’s preparedness by developing and managing a comprehensive, all-hazards emergency operations plan that clarifies roles and helps coordinate resources before, during and after an incident of state significance.
Bert Nitzke is Section Chief in the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Training Division, where he plays a key role in developing and delivering emergency management training across the state. With more than a decade of service within The Texas A&M University System, Bert has held various leadership and instructional roles spanning emergency management, curriculum development, marketing, and disaster response.
Bert brings over 20 years of frontline experience in Disaster and Emergency Services, having served in Emergency Medical Services, Law Enforcement, Firefighting, and Emergency Management. He is a retired Fire Chief from a combination Fire and EMS department, where he led critical response operations and personnel.
He is credentialed as a Type 3 Operations Section Chief with the Texas All-Hazards Incident Management Team.
Carman Apple is the Field Training Section Chief in the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Training Division. She has been with TDEM since 2012, serving first as a District Coordinator for the Beaumont District and then as a Regional Section Chief over Preparedness and Response in the Southeast and Deep East Texas regions before transitioning in 2025 to the Training Division.
During her time with TDEM, she has managed multiple Type 1 incidents, including floods and hurricanes, hazardous materials incidents, and public health crises, such as Ebola and COVID-19.
Carman previously served as a police officer for 25 years with the City of Beaumont. During that time, Carman was a founding member of the city’s incident management team, which responded to Hurricanes Rita and Ike. She was also a founding member of the regional Golden Triangle Incident Management Team and deployed on state missions, including the 2008 Wildfire Season and the 2011 Bastrop County Complex Fire.
Carman is credentialed as a Type 3 Public Information Officer and Liaison Officer. She is a Certified Texas Emergency Manager (TEM) and International Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®). She graduated from Lamar University with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
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