The appointment to fire marshal was not the first time Marion Spann made history in the department, in 2000, Spann became the first Black woman to be named an engineer operator.
The Houston Fire Department made history when HFD’s Fire Chief named Marion Spann, a Black woman who was previously the department’s assistant chief over recruitment, as the Houston Fire Department’s new Fire Marshal.
According to The Houston Chronicle, Spann learned about her historic appointment from HFD Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz during the week of Nov. 8.
In Muñoz’s statement announcing Spann’s appointment, he called attention to her qualifications for the role.
“When Mayor John Whitmire appointed me as fire chief, he told me to make sure we have the right people in the right place to protect citizens and care for our firefighters,” Muñoz said. “Chief Spann has the experience and credentials to get the job done. Her time as an inspector and her leadership and team development will serve this city well.”
As the news circulated among her family and friends, the 63-year-old Spann thought of her late mother, Myrtle Williams, and her church network.