Contact us

The commission's main phone number is (512) 936-3838. The commission's fax number is (512) 936-3808.

Contact information for individuals:

• Staff members
• Commission members
• Advisory committee members
• Field offices

Links to maps to commission facilities.

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Staff members

The commission employs 31 staff members in three divisions: the executive director's office, the support services section, and the fire service standards and certification division.

The executive director's office includes the agency director and executive assistant, the staff human resources officer, and the public information officer/information resources manager.

The accounting services section manages the agency's purchasing and accounting functions.

The fire service standards and certification division administers the commission's educational and professional development section (which includes certification, injury reporting, library, curriculum and information resources) and compliance section (which includes the commission's field offices, testing and training approval, and test auditing).

Executive Director's Office
	(512) 936-3812
	(512) 936-3812
	(512) 936-3841
	(512) 936-3850
	(512) 936-3842
Accounting Services
	(512) 936-3843
	(512) 936-3846
Fire Service Standards and Certification
	(512) 936-3820
Compliance
	(512) 936-3830
	(512) 936-3832
Field Offices
	(512) 936-3830
	(214) 509-4474
	(817) 321-8634
	(713) 422-8998
	(806) 744-6037
	(936) 632-8034
	(210) 223-5456
Training Approval and Testing
	(512) 936-3815
	(512) 936-3816
	(512) 936-3818
	(512) 936-3823
	(512) 936-3859
Educational and Professional Development
	(512) 936-3825
Certifications
	(512) 936-3826
	(512) 936-3828
	(512) 936-3844
Injury Reporting
	(512) 936-3831
Library
	(512) 936-3833
Curriculum
	(512) 936-3855
Information Resources
	(512) 936-3851
	(512) 936-3861
	(512) 936-3852

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Commission members

The policymaking body of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection is a 13-member board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The commissioners adopt policies in accordance with Chapter 419 of the Government Code . Upon adoption by the commission, these policies become state administrative laws collected under Title 37, Part 13, of the Texas Administrative Code.

The 13 members of the commission represent a broad spectrum of the Texas fire service:

• Two members are chief officers nominated by the Texas Fire Chiefs' Association. One of the fire chiefs must be the head of his or her fire department, and one must be employed by a municipality with a population of less than 100,000.
• Two members are paid fire protection personnel nominated by the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters. These fire fighters must hold a rank of battalion chief or below, and one must be employed by a municipality with a population of less than 100,000.
• Two members are volunteer fire protection personnel nominated by the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas.
• One member is a certified fire protection engineer.
• One member is a certified arson investigator or fire protection inspector.
• One member is a fire protection instructor from an institution of higher education.
• Four commissioners are public members who cannot be employed or certified as fire fighters or who otherwise would fall under the commission's regulatory authority.

The commission has created two subcommittees to oversee the agency's budget and strategic planning process. The subcommittees are made up of the following members:

• Budget subcommittee: Commissioner Elroy Carson, Chair. Commissioners Giles, Gillette and Gonzalez.
• Strategic plan subcommittee: Commissioner Les Bunte, Chair. Commissioners Farran, Green, Melton, Pertile and Tull.

Commissioners

E-mail messages can be forwarded to the commissioners through this web site, or, if you prefer, more direct contact information can be furnished on request. Please contact the commission for more information.

Chris Connealy of Cedar Park is chief of the Cedar Park Fire Department. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Academy and the National Society of Executive Fire Officers. Connealy is a regional director of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and a board member of the Cedar Park Rotary Club. He received a bachelor's degree in fire administration from Western Illinois University and a master's degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2017.

Les Bunte of Austin is director of the Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) within the Texas Engineering Extension Service. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and the National Fire Protection Association. Bunte is also a member of the National Society of Executive Fire Officers and the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas. He served as an advisory board member for the Texas Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team, and the Fire Protection Technology Program at Austin Community College. Bunte received a bachelor's degree in education from then Southwest Texas State University and a master's degree in public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2015.

Elroy Carson of Ransom Canyon is an insurance agent with State Farm Insurance and an officer in the United States Army Reserve (retired). He is a member of the Greater Lubbock Rotary Club and 100 Black Men of West Texas, Inc. Carson serves as president of the Reserve Officer Association. He received a degree in accounting from then Dallas Baptist College and studied business at Texas Tech University. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2017.

Tony Cortes of San Antonio is a licensed minister, CEO of Cortes Contracting Inc., and construction coordinator for Civil Engineering Consultants. He is a past member of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce board of directors and past chair of the San Antonio chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America Board of Directors. Cortes is a past member of the Texas State Real Estate Research Advisory Committee and State Board of Plumbing Examiners. He will serve as a public member of the commission for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2015.

Yusuf Elias Farran of El Paso is a professional engineer and is executive director of facilities and transportation for Canutillo Independent School District. He is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Farran is a former member of the Texas Association of Builders, the El Paso Association of Builders and the National Society of Builders. He serves as a board member of the El Paso Community College Foundation, a member of the El Paso City and County Board of Health, and is a vice-chairman of the City of El Paso Ethics Review Commission. He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master of science in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2015.

Carl "Gene" Giles of Carthage is senior vice president and director of the First State Bank and Trust Company of Carthage. He is a member of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association, Panola County Cattlemen's Association and Carthage Lions Club. He is also first assistant chief of the Carthage Volunteer Fire Department, treasurer and director of Mission Carthage, and past treasurer of the Panola Chamber of Commerce and Panola Salvation Army. Giles received bachelor's degrees from Panola College and Stephen F. Austin State University. His term expires Feb. 1, 2015.

John Kelly Gillette III of Frisco is a registered professional engineer in fire protection and is fire marshal for the City of Frisco. He is a member of the Texas chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators and the Texas Fire Marshal's Association. Gillette is past president of the Fire Prevention Association of North Texas and the North Texas chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. He is also an adjunct instructor at the Texas A&M Fire Training School and at the Collin County Community College in Fire Science. Gillette received a bachelor's degree in engineering technology from Oklahoma State University. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2017.

Jody Gonzalez is chief and director of the Denton County Department of Emergency Services, which includes his responsibilities as fire marshal and homeland security and emergency management coordinator for the county. He is the immediate past president of the Texas Fire Marshals Association (TFMA), first vice president of the Texas Arson Investigation Association and chair of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Regional Emergency Preparedness Advisory Council. Gonzalez is a certified fire fighter, arson investigator, inspector, fire instructor and master peace officer. He has served as an advisory board member of the State Fire Marshal's Office's (SFMO) Line of Duty Deaths (LODD) and is a current member of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas (SFFMA), International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) and International Fire Chiefs Association (IAFC). Gonzalez received a bachelor's degree from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University). His term will expire Feb. 1, 2013.

John W. Green of San Leon is a professional fire fighter, driver and operator with the Village Fire Department. He is preseident of the Local 3921 Village Fire Fighters and a member of the Texas Association of Fire Instructors and Salt Grass Trail Riders Association. He is also a member of Dacus Baptist Church. Green graduated from the Texas A&M Fire Academy. His term expires Feb. 1, 2017.

Leonardo (Lenny) Perez is the Fire Chief for the City of Brownsville. He is the regional director of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Texas Firemen's and Fire Marshals Association, the National Fire Protection Association, the Rio Grande Valley Firemen's and Fire Marshals Association and the Rio Grande Valley Emergency Training Alliance. He is also a former board member of the Southmost Lions Club. Perez received an associate's degree from Texas Southmost College and has attended numerous courses at the National Fire Academy. Commissioner Perez's term will expire Feb. 1, 2013.

Art Pertile, III, is an attorney with Olson & Olson L.L.P., a Houston law firm that serves cities, counties, special districts, other local governmental entities, and public officials across the State of Texas as general counsel, and in the areas of litigation and special projects. He was City Attorney for Waco, Texas for almost 12 years. He is a past President of the Texas City Attorneys Association. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Government Lawyers Section of the Texas State Bar, and is the Texas State Chair for the International Municipal Lawyers Association. Art also serves as a board member of the Waco Tigers charitable organization. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Waco Foundation, Waco Parents for Public Schools, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the YMCA of Central Texas, and the McLennan County Bar Association. Art participates in the Big Brothers Big Sisters "Bigs in Schools" program. He is a National Youth Sport Coaches Association certified youth basketball coach. Commissioner Pertile was re-appointed in December 2008; his term expires Feb. 1, 2013.

Steven C. Tull of Valley Mills is a lieutenant fire fighter in the City of Waco Fire Department. He is also president of the Waco Professional Firefighters Association. His term expires Feb. 1, 2015.

Commissioner McMakin is fire chief of the LaRue-New York Volunteer Fire Department Inc. and vice president of the Henderson County 911 Communication District. He is a member of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association, and a member and past president of the Henderson County Fire Chiefs Association. He is also a past member of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and the National Volunteer Fire Council. McMakin attended the University of Texas. His term expires Feb. 1, 2013.

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Advisory committee members

The fire fighter advisory committee is created by the commission's enabling statute, Chapter 419 of the Government Code . A second advisory committee, the curriculum and testing committee, was created by the commission to assist in the creation and upkeep of the certification curriculum.

The fire fighter advisory committee consists of six active or retired fire protection personnel and three certified fire protection instructors. At least one member of the committee must be a volunteer fire fighter or fire chief. The committee is responsible for drafting and reviewing the administrative rules that govern the state's fire service. (The Government Code states that the commission cannot adopt a new rule until the fire fighter advisory committee has had an opportunity to review it.)

• Jim Reidy, San Antonio, Presiding Officer
• Michael Wisko, Santa Fe, Secretary
• Tommy Anderson, Santa Fe
• Amado Cano, Jr., McAllen
• David Hudgins, Waxahachie
• J. P. Steelman, Longview
• Daniel E. DeYear, Dallas ( alternate address)
• Michael Jones, Burleson ( alternate address)
• Jason Collier, Highland Village

The curriculum and testing committee was created and appointed by the commission to periodically review and recommend changes to the commission's testing and training programs.

• Pat McAuliff, McKinney, Presiding Officer
• Richard Bahena, El Paso
• Gary Fox, San Antonio
• Robert Louis Havens, Port Arthur
• Bill Ho-Gland, Amarillo
• David Hudgins, Waxahachie
• Jason Loyd, College Station
• Randy Pearson, Killeen
• Chuck French, Nacogdoches
• Chris Watson, Austin

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Field offices

Location	Compliance officer	Phone
Austin 1701 N Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78701	Vacant
Allen 310 Century Parkway Allen, TX 75013-8048	Robert Manley	(214) 509-4474
Fort Worth 1501 Circle Drive, Suite 130 Fort Worth, TX 76119-8727	Lamar Ford	(817) 321-8634
Houston 5425 Polk Street Houston, TX 77023-1444	Edward Russell	(713) 422-8998
Lufkin 2127 South First Street PO Box 409 Lufkin, Texas 75902-0409	Fred Green	(936) 632-8034
Lubbock 22 Briercroft Office Park, Suite 13 Lubbock, TX 79412-3010	Larry Whitis	(806) 744-6037
San Antonio 321 North Center Street San Antonio, TX 78202	Tim Gardner	(210) 223-5456

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Maps to commission facilities

The commission's mailing address is Texas Commission on Fire Protection, PO Box 2286, Austin, TX 78768-2286.

The commission's physical address is 1701 North Congress, Suite 105, Austin, Texas 78701. The following maps to commission facilities are available:

• William B. Travis State Office Building
• Allen map / Allen field office
• Fort Worth map / Fort Worth field office
• Lubbock map / Lubbock field office
• Lufkin map / Lufkin field office
• San Antonio map / San Antonio field office