Houston Fire Department’s First Black Woman Fire Marshal Makes History.
Marion Spann’s appointment as fire marshal isn’t her first groundbreaking achievement in the department; in 2000, she became the first Black woman to be named an engineer operator.
The Houston Fire Department made history when Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz appointed Marion Spann, a Black woman and former assistant chief over recruitment, as the department’s new Fire Marshal. According to The Houston Chronicle, Spann received news of her historic appointment from Chief Muñoz during the week of Nov. 8.
In his announcement of Spann’s appointment, Muñoz highlighted her impressive qualifications for the role.
“When Mayor John Whitmire appointed me as fire chief, he emphasized the importance of placing the right people in key positions to protect citizens and support our firefighters,” Muñoz stated. “Chief Spann’s experience, credentials, and background as an inspector, combined with her leadership and team development skills, make her well-suited for the role and will greatly benefit the city.”
As the news spread among her family and friends, the 63-year-old Spann reflected on her late mother, Myrtle Williams, and her supportive church community.
“Mom’s church friends would have been the first to know,” Spann told the Chronicle. “I never had to worry about sharing news myself—she’d call and tell everyone after every promotion or new role. Mom was so proud of me, and she would have been absolutely overjoyed now.”
Spann joined the department in 1994 after a friend, already working there, encouraged her to apply. Leaving her job in the oil and gas industry, Spann soon realized she had a passion for firefighting.
“I truly enjoyed being a firefighter, the camaraderie at the station, and everything that came with it. Becoming the fire marshal wasn’t even on my mind when I first joined,” Spann shared.
Spann’s appointment as fire marshal isn’t her first historic milestone in the department; in 2000, she became the first Black woman to serve as an engineer operator.
Spann, who holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from Texas Southern University, will lead the Arson Bureau, responsible for investigating arson-related crimes, and oversee the HFD’s Life Safety Bureau, which manages inspections, education, enforcement, and the development of the city’s fire code.
Spann views her new role as a natural extension of her dedication to fire safety and expressed to the Chronicle that her mission is to ensure buildings and homes are as safe as possible within fire code standards.
“It’s reassuring to know that when a building meets code, it is as safe as it can be, barring human error,” Spann explained. “Our priority is to ensure that spaces—particularly schools and places where people sleep—are as secure as possible. This is what I’ve worked for. I found the best career I could have ever imagined.”
