Houston Fire Chief named Metropolitan Fire Chief of the Year

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña was named 2023 Metropolitan Fire Chief of the Year late last month by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), as well as earned a seat on the 2023 Metro Executive Board, according to a tweet by the City of Houston.

"A hearty salute for this tremendous achievement," the City of Houston said. 

According to a report from Houston NBC affiliate KPRC Channel 2, Peña has led the Houston Fire Department (HFD) since Dec. 19, 2016. The station reported that he presides over the nation’s third-largest municipal fire department with a workforce of nearly 3,900 personnel and an annual budget of more than $559 million. He held the same position with the El Paso Fire Department, per KPRC.

KPRC reported that Peña assisted the City of Houston Unified Command with directing the fire department during Hurricane Harvey; Tropical Storm Imelda; Tropical Storm Beta; Hurricane Nicholas; Winter Storm Uri; Super Bowl LI; the 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022 World Series; and the Watson Grinding explosion.

Aside from the IAFC and the NFPA, he’s a member of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (MFCA) and the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASR), the station reported. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and is an Air Force veteran. Under Peña, a Houston City Council-approved initiative was implemented earlier this year in which those enrolled in HFD cadet classes through December 2024 will receive a $5,000 incentive, per a city-issued press release. The cadets will receive the first $2,500 at the start of classes and the latter $2,500 during the eighth month of training or about two weeks before graduation. At least 560 cadets were slated to be affected by the incentive program.