County Judge-Elect KP George selects Fort Bend County Fire Marshal as new Emergency Management Coordinator

Houston, Texas
Fort Bend County Judge Elect KP George announced that the Fort Bend County Fire Marshal Mark Flathouse will be the Interim Emergency Management Coordinator at the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) starting on January 2.

Judge Elect George said, “Emergency Management is a top responsibility in which we must constantly strive to innovate and improve. Fire Marshal Flathouse will work to prepare a long-term, forward-thinking vision that strives to improve our communication with the public, coordinate better with partner entities, and build community confidence in an effective emergency management operation.”

With this change, Interim Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Flathouse will begin conducting an analysis to comprehensively evaluate the current situation and map the strategic outlook of the department within the first 100 days of the New Administration.

Mark Flathouse has been Fire Marshal of Fort Bend County since 2013. Fire Marshal Flathouse has over twenty years of experience in public service: eight years in the United States Coast Guard with a focus on search and rescue coordination and over twelve years as a Firefighter/ Peace Officer and EMT. His last assignment prior to Fort Bend was in the Victoria Fire Department as the Assistant Fire Marshal.
Fire Marshal Flathouse holds a Master of Criminal Justice Management and Leadership from Sam Houston State University, a Bachelor of Emergency Management Administration graduating Cum Laude from West Texas A&M, and an Associate of Fire Protection Technology from Austin Community College.
Fire Marshal Flathouse currently holds the highest honors in emergency training including Fire Service Chief Executive Officer (FSCEO); Executive Fire Officers (EFO) certification from the National Fire Academy/FEMA in Maryland and a graduate of Fire Emergency Management (FEMT) from the Bill Blackwood Institute at Sam Houston State. He currently holds Master Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, and Arson Investigator certifications from the State of Texas; Master Peace Officer TCLOSE certification; Hazmat incident Command and maintains all NIMS level training.
“I have been deeply appreciative of Jeff Braun’s county government service dating back to 2003. I know that Fire Marshal Mark Flathouse will be an exceptional interim coordinator and Fort Bend County leader moving the department forward to lead the region in Emergency Preparedness and Management,” said Judge Elect George.