Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced the replacement of former Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Peña in a news release July 26.
Thomas Muñoz, the city’s coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management, will succeed Peña.
What happened
Whitmire announced the leadership change July 26, but did not elaborate on the status of Peña’s departure, instead simply thanking the 8-year veteran for his service in HFD.
“The city of Houston thanks Chief Peña for his years of dedicated service to the Houston Fire Department,” Whitmire said in a statement.
Peña has served as chief of the Houston Fire Department since 2016. During his tenure, he assisted Houstonians during many natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Imelda and Winter Storm Uri.
He was also the acting chief during the 8-year legal battle between the city of Houston and the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, which led to a finalized agreement in early June.
Before coming to Houston, Peña led the fire department in El Paso and worked as a task force leader for the hazardous materials team, special rescue team, emergency operations, and combined search and rescue mountain teams.
Muñoz will replace Peña immediately and will serve as the department’s 37th chief since it became nonvolunteer in 1895.
<
A closer look
Muñoz holds a master’s degree in emergency management and a master’s degree in homeland security.
Most recently, he served as the city’s emergency management coordinator and the acting director for the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
He also served the Houston Fire Department for 24 years, earning the title of assistant chief of homeland security and planning in 2017.
Whitmire said he is confident that Muñoz is the best person to lead the city's fire department at this time.
"Chief Muñoz is a strong leader dedicated to preparing and protecting Houstonians for emergencies,” Whitmire said. “I believe he is the best emergency management coordinator in the country. 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.”
As of July 26, it has not been announced who will replace Muñoz as the new coordinator for OEM.
Quote of note
"Mayor Whitmire is a no-nonsense leader who has supported our firefighters since day one," Muñoz said. "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."
