HOUSTON – El Paso Fire Chief Samuel Peña is now the new Houston fire chief. The announcement was made by Mayor Sylvester Turner Thursday in a ceremony at City Hall.
“I am happy to have the support of the mayor in leading one of the premier fire organizations in the country,” Peña said.
Peña, 45, is an Air Force veteran with advanced degrees and broad experience as a firefighter. A 20-year veteran of the El Paso Fire Department, he became
chief in 2013 -- the youngest chief in that department’s 133-year history.
Peña will be running a department that dwarfs his old one. Houston is the third-largest fire department in the country, with about 4,000 employees, more than three times as many as El Paso. Houston is also much busier; Houston firefighters answered about 350,000 calls for service last year, compared to just over 75,000 by El Paso firefighters.
“A lot of the issues are similar,” Peña said. “They’re not the same but they’re similar: response times, equipment, personnel.”
The response from the Houston Professional Firefighters Association was welcoming but reserved.
Houston Professional Firefighters Association President Patrick "Marty" Lancton released a written statement:
"Houston firefighters wish Samuel Peña well, but we urge him to be honest about HFD’s strengths and weaknesses. Job one for Chief Peña will be to better balance his obligations at City Hall against those he will have to the 4,000 firefighters who have earned his support.
"Houston firefighters serve proudly, but far too few members at City Hall and at HFD Command care to truly understand the declining state of Houston’s fire service and the safety of our citizens. They stand by us at line-of-duty death memorial services, but some choose to undermine us behind the scenes.
"We urge Chief Peña to challenge City Hall to commit to the ‘shared sacrifice’ imposed upon us by sensibly addressing the declining condition of the HFD fleet and facilities, a too-often adversarial command staff, and stalled contract negotiations.
"Houston firefighters deliver excellent service, are good stewards of city resources, and give back in the community. It’s time for the mayor and city council to empower a fire chief to say that — and help address our public safety challenges, not add to them."
Some firefighters say privately they’d hoped the new chief would be chosen from within the department.
“I’m going to be drinking for the proverbial fire hydrant for a while,” Peña said. “Really getting to know the command staff, sitting down with associations, and rank and file to get to know what their priorities are from their perspective.”
The news came on the heels of sources telling KPRC 2 that Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo has accepted the job as Houston’s new police chief.
RAW VIDEO: Mayor Turner introduces new Houston fire Chief
El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez released the following statement:
“Sam has served well as a member of the city of El Paso's leadership team, and he certainly will be missed. We want to thank him for his service and commitment to our community.
“I will be working with the chief on a transition plan and looking to our exceptional leadership within the fire department executive team to help continue to lead the department.”
Chief Peña’s appointment must still be approved by Houston City Council, but no opposition is expected.