Mayor says he wants ‘the best fire department in the country’ hours after naming new fire chief – Houston Public Media

Citing staffing and equipment shortages within the Houston Fire Department, Mayor John Whitmire said he was “thrilled” to have selected a new chief.

This comes hours after the mayor’s office announced that Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña is retiring and that Thomas Muñoz, the city’s emergency management coordinator, will be his successor.

RELATED: Samuel Peña steps down as Houston Fire Chief, Thomas Muñoz to succeed him, mayor’s office confirms

The sudden staff shakeup was announced Friday when Whitmire said he was looking for the “best-run fire department in the country.”

During his mayoral campaign, Whitmire said he “repeatedly” mentioned he would give department heads and directors six months “to see if we can create successful departments and make them better.”

A few months after his mayoral run, his office announced Peña’s retirement.

“I’m not a patient person,” Whitmire said at a news conference Friday. “I’m committed to the people of Houston to making Houston safer.”

Muñoz was the city’s emergency management coordinator and acting director of the mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

“Right now, all I can say is I’m proud of the work we’ve done,” Peña told Houston Public Media on Friday, declining to comment further.

This is a developing story.