City of Kansas City, MO
12/02/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/02/2025 13:04
Meet Finalists for Fire Chief
For immediate release: Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Kansas City residents are invited to a public forum with the finalists for Fire Chief. This event provides the community with an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and learn about their vision for the Kansas City Fire Department.
Each candidate will deliver a short presentation, followed by responses to pre-selected community questions. Spanish and American Sign Language interpreters will be provided through the City's Office of Language Access (OLA).
John Hall of Crux KC will serve as the event moderator. Hall is an award-winning storyteller, keynote speaker, emcee, and event moderator with extensive experience working with national sports organizations, major entertainment venues, and regional leadership groups.
"Selecting our next Fire Chief is an important moment for Kansas City, and transparency is essential in that process. This forum gives residents a clear look at each finalist and their vision for the future of KCFD. I appreciate everyone taking the time to listen and stay engaged as we move forward," said City Manager Mario Vasquez.
Kansas City residents are invited to a public forum with the finalists for Fire Chief. This event provides the community with an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and learn about their vision for the Kansas City Fire Department.
Each candidate will deliver a short presentation, followed by responses to pre-selected community questions. Spanish and American Sign Language interpreters will be provided through the City's Office of Language Access (OLA).
John Hall of Crux KC will serve as the event moderator. Hall is an award-winning storyteller, keynote speaker, emcee, and event moderator with extensive experience working with national sports organizations, major entertainment venues, and regional leadership groups.
"Selecting our next Fire Chief is an important moment for Kansas City, and transparency is essential in that process. This forum gives residents a clear look at each finalist and their vision for the future of KCFD. I appreciate everyone taking the time to listen and stay engaged as we move forward," said City Manager Mario Vasquez.
Event Details
What: Public forum with candidates for Kansas City Fire Chief, including presentations and responses to pre-selected community questions. This event is a listening session.
When:
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, 5-8 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.)
Where:
Truman Forum Auditorium, Kansas City Public Library - Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
Media Notes:
What: Public forum with candidates for Kansas City Fire Chief, including presentations and responses to pre-selected community questions. This event is a listening session.
When:
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, 5-8 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.)
Where:
Truman Forum Auditorium, Kansas City Public Library - Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
Media Notes:
- Outlets may record presentations and candidate responses.
- Filming should only take place on the lower floor of the library unless otherwise communicated in advance.
- Candidates will not take questions following the event. When Kansas City's new Fire Chief assumes their role, they will sit down for one-on-one interviews with news outlets at their request.
Candidate Summaries
Craig Buckley brings more than four decades of all-hazards emergency response experience across local, state, and federal service. He has served as Interim Fire Chief for the City of Orlando, Deputy Chief overseeing Orlando's Fire Operations Bureau, and Deputy Chief of Administrative Services. His background includes leading airport fire operations, managing major special events such as Universal Orlando's incident response, and serving on FEMA's National Incident Management Assistance Team. Buckley's experience reflects deep operational leadership, extensive hazardous materials expertise, and a long history of supervisory command roles in large, urban departments.
Michael Marino is a multifaceted public safety executive with 25 years in fire, EMS, homeland security, and emergency management. His career includes senior leadership roles in the National Capital Region, including Director of Emergency Preparedness for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Assistant Fire Chief of Prince George's County (MD) Fire/EMS. Marino has commanded complex operations involving special operations, intelligence, mass-casualty response, and large-scale incident planning. His background is rooted in innovation, data-driven decision-making, and regional collaboration. He brings significant experience integrating fire service operations with emergency management, law enforcement, and federal partners.
Michael Mire offers nearly three decades of leadership within the Houston Fire Department, one of the largest in the country. His tenure includes Assistant Chief roles over emergency response, special operations, and all-hazards incident management, with responsibility for a 670-square-mile service area and more than 4,000 responders. Mire has overseen complex emergency operations, major multi-alarm incidents, and department-wide programs aimed at modernization and service improvement. His background reflects deep operational knowledge, experience serving a large and diverse population, and a strong emphasis on readiness and community-focused leadership.
View high-resolution headshots pf the finalists
Craig Buckley brings more than four decades of all-hazards emergency response experience across local, state, and federal service. He has served as Interim Fire Chief for the City of Orlando, Deputy Chief overseeing Orlando's Fire Operations Bureau, and Deputy Chief of Administrative Services. His background includes leading airport fire operations, managing major special events such as Universal Orlando's incident response, and serving on FEMA's National Incident Management Assistance Team. Buckley's experience reflects deep operational leadership, extensive hazardous materials expertise, and a long history of supervisory command roles in large, urban departments.
Michael Marino is a multifaceted public safety executive with 25 years in fire, EMS, homeland security, and emergency management. His career includes senior leadership roles in the National Capital Region, including Director of Emergency Preparedness for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Assistant Fire Chief of Prince George's County (MD) Fire/EMS. Marino has commanded complex operations involving special operations, intelligence, mass-casualty response, and large-scale incident planning. His background is rooted in innovation, data-driven decision-making, and regional collaboration. He brings significant experience integrating fire service operations with emergency management, law enforcement, and federal partners.
Michael Mire offers nearly three decades of leadership within the Houston Fire Department, one of the largest in the country. His tenure includes Assistant Chief roles over emergency response, special operations, and all-hazards incident management, with responsibility for a 670-square-mile service area and more than 4,000 responders. Mire has overseen complex emergency operations, major multi-alarm incidents, and department-wide programs aimed at modernization and service improvement. His background reflects deep operational knowledge, experience serving a large and diverse population, and a strong emphasis on readiness and community-focused leadership.
View high-resolution headshots pf the finalists
City of Kansas City, MO published this content on December 02, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on December 02, 2025 at 19:04 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]