The UH Fire Marshal's Office: (Standing from left) Walter Rodriguez, Joe Tremont, Bob Bowden (Kneeling from left) Bill Courtney, Laquita Johnson. Photo by Mark Lacy

Preserving a hazard-free campus is a tall order, but the University of Houston’s Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) makes sure UH doesn’t come up short on safety.

The office is part of the UH Department of Public Safety, which also includes the UH Police, Security, and Parking Enforcement. Among its many duties are investigating fire and safety related incidents, inspecting buildings for fire hazards and making sure all fire prevention equipment is operable.

“It’s one thing if the life safety equipment works, but it’s important that faculty and staff know how to operate it properly,” said Bob Bowden, UH fire marshal. “Our office also offers fire extinguisher training on request for all colleges and departments. With hurricane season around the corner, we’re also available for emergency preparedness and evacuation training.”

Bowden is no stranger to fire prevention or to the campus. He was a firefighter for the Houston Fire Department (HFD) for more than 20 years and has a bachelor of science degree from UH’s College of Technology. For the past 17 years, he has led the FMO efforts in keeping the campus clear of hazardous situations.

Joseph Tremont, assistant fire marshal, Walter “Rod” Rodriguez, deputy fire marshal, Bill Courtney, inspector/arson investigator, and office assistant Laquita Johnson aid Bowden.

In addition to investigations, inspections and training, FMO also serves as the university’s liaison to HFD and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. They assist both organizations in inspecting and surveying campus buildings, developing pre-fire plans and providing emergency response assistance.

As renovations and construction continue, so will inspections. Keeping all facilities up to code can be a daunting task on an expansive campus.

“It’s our biggest challenge,” Bowden said. “Making sure the university complies with all applicable building codes can be very time consuming because there are so many of them. It’s a necessity, so we have to be very thorough.”

FMO relies on its own expertise in identifying hazards, but Bowden encourages the campus community to keep its eyes open for anything that might be a safety threat. He said that faculty and staff should report potential hazards to his department. Either Bowden or another member of the FMO team will review the situation and take actions to correct it.

Currently, the department is bolstering its capabilities by collaborating with the Environmental Health and Risk Management department to create an emergency response team to address hazardous materials situations.

The job of maintaining campus safety is an ongoing process, and it’s one that’s well worth the time and energy for Bowden and his team.

“We’re committed to the campus and everyone on it,” Bowden said. “Making sure the university is safe and helping the campus community are very rewarding aspects of our jobs, so we’re proud to do our part in keeping UH free of fire and safety risks.”

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu