Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced on Friday that he replaced former Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Peña with former Houston Emergency Mangement Coordinator Thomas Muñoz.
Peña joins the list of City Hall employees who’ve been replaced by Whitmire during his first seven months.
Peña had served as fire chief since 2016 and has almost 30 years of experience in fire department.
However, the mayor’s decision was in a way suspected partly related to disagreements between the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association that endorsed Whitmire and the former chief.
Meet the new Chief of HFD: Thomas Muñoz
The department’s new 37th chief, Muñoz, served 24 years in the HFD, prior to his most recent roles as OEM coordinator and acting Director for the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
“I’ll work hard to make our Houston Fire Department the best in the world,” Muñoz said in Spanish during his first press conference as the fire chief on July 26.
Muñoz is a member of FEMA’s National Advisory Council and has more than 29 years of experience as a first responder and emergency manager. During his 24 years with the Houston Fire Department, Muñoz oversaw Homeland Security, Public Affairs, and HAZMAT. Muñoz completed the Executive Leadership and Management Certification from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business and is a Homeland Security Executive Leadership Program graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School. He also completed the Component National Security Course at the National Defense University in Washington, DC.
“Mayor Whitmire is a no-nonsense leader who has supported our firefighters since day one,” said Chief Muñoz.
“I am committed to taking care of the residents of Houston, which must begin with taking care of the men and women of the Houston Fire Department. The work we do today will have a lasting impact for years to come, and I know that with this administration, we can improve the safety of all residents and future generations.”
Whitmire announced the decision in a statement on Friday praising Muñoz’s leadership.
“Chief Muñoz is a strong leader dedicated to preparing and protecting Houstonians for emergencies. I believe he is the best emergency management coordinator in the country,” said Mayor Whitmire. “He is experienced, knowledgeable, and widely respected. I have worked alongside him during the flooding in Kingwood, the derecho, Hurricane Beryl, and the winter freeze. I am confident that Chief Muñoz is the best person to lead the City’s fire department at this time.”
Whitmire didn’t go into extensive detail onto why he replaced Peña.
“I want my team in place,” Whitmire said during a press conference following his announcement of the new fire chief.
