March 21, 2025

By Marisa Ramirez

A fire marshal is concerned with inspecting buildings, enforcing codes and making sure all are compliant with fire safety regulations. And Philip Rey, the new Assistant Fire Marshal for UH at Sugar Land and UH at Katy, is concerned with those duties as well. But he wants to add an additional role: educator.

“Working for a university is different,” he said. “We are enforcing through education. That is a huge reason I like this position.”

Rey brings with him more than 14 years’ experience in public service that started in New Mexico as an emergency medical technician, emergency dispatcher at New Mexico State University, firefighter, and a Captain-Fire Prevention Specialist at Doña Ana County Fire Rescue.

“I wanted to do more than just react to emergencies. I wanted to work on prevention,” Rey said.

With UH since July 2023, Rey has performed inspection duties of main campus buildings but has also provided fire safety and prevention training. These include CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) classes, and fire extinguisher training—all free to the campus community.

“It’s about communication and being visible,” he said. “For example, some students had concerns about fire safety in new buildings. Our buildings have robust fire alarms and sprinkler systems. Our stairwells are built differently and can withstand fire and smoke for up to two hours. We shared this with students. Educating is key.”

To that end, Rey plans a monthly information spotlight on best safety practices. These tips will not be limited to fire safety, but also things like power banks and lithium devices, scooter and bike safety, and, with summer approaching, swimming- and heat-related safety.

“Helping our campus become more aware of proactive steps to protect themselves is a very fulfilling part of my job,” he said. “This information isn’t just for our campus, but also for our homes and families.”

Beyond the instructional sites, Rey aims to ensure the first encounter with area fire and safety entities isn’t during an emergency. He is connecting with the Sugar Land Fire Marshal, city and county emergency officials and the Local Emergency Planning Committee. These connections will share information, reiterate safety messages and ensure all work together.

On the instructional sites, his goals are to develop long-term strategies to maintain and improve safety measures, provide free training opportunities for the campus community, and strengthen relationships with faculty, staff and students.

“It’s my job to make sure we are enforcing and educating, but ultimately it’s a collaboration,” Rey said. “I encourage everyone to be proactive. We need staff, faculty and students working together to make our campus safe.”

Assistant Fire Marshal Philip Rey offices on the first floor of Brazos Hall and can be reached at jprey@central.uh.edu or 713-743-2586.