Mayor John Whitmire introduces Thomas Muñoz as Houston Fire Chief

Houston, Texas – Houston Mayor John Whitmire held a news conference Friday afternoon to introduce the city’s new fire chief, Thomas Muñoz, who will replace current Chief Sam Peña.

Mayor Whitmire cited Muñoz’s work during previous natural disasters in the Houston area, including the Kingwood floods, the Derecho and Hurricane Beryl. He also reiterated his statements that he gave city officials six months to “prove themselves” before the personnel change.

“Tom is a leader among leaders,” Mayor Whitmire said. “He is a star in public safety… I am confident he will soon be the best fire chief in America.”

Muñoz’s opening remarks were brief and to the point. He thanked Mayor Whitmire, the City of Houston and the members of the Houston Fire Department for the opportunity to serve as fire chief.

“I commit to you and to this city that we will be the best in the world,” he said. “I commit to the firefighters and the residents of Houston that I will work diligently to ensure the safety of not only our members, but the public as well.”

The story of Muñoz

Peña, a 28-year veteran, has served as chief of the Houston Fire Department since Dec. 19, 2016. During his tenure, he led the third-largest municipal fire department in the country with more than 3,000 personnel.

Muñoz found himself at the center of a bitter legal battle between the union and his former boss, Mayor Sylvester Turner. The lengthy battle took a toll on Peña’s reputation with the union and firefighters, creating morale problems within the ranks.

He previously served for three years and nine months as fire chief in El Paso, Texas.

According to the HFD website, Peña completed his paramedic training at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center EMS Division in 1998. He previously served as task force leader for the El Paso Hazardous Materials Team and Special Rescue Team; coordinator of the Combined Search and Rescue (ComSAR) Mountain Rescue Team; chief of strategic planning, public information office, chief of training, and deputy chief of emergency operations. Chief Peña served in the City of Houston Unified Command, directing Houston Fire Department assets during Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Imelda, Tropical Storm Beta, Hurricane Nicholas, Winter Storm Uri, Super Bowl 51, the 2017, 2019, 2021 World Series, and the 2020 Watson Grinding Mill explosion.

Peña holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at El Paso and served for four years as a command and control specialist in the U.S. Air Force.

Peña is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the IAFC Committee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, the National Fire Protection Association and the National Association of Search and Rescue.