KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City, Missouri officials are inviting the public to meet the finalists to be the city’s next fire chief.
On Thursday, Dec. 4, Kansas City residents have the opportunity to hear directly from Craig Buckley, Michael Marino and Michael Mire, who are all candidates to be the next Kansas City Fire Chief.
Each candidate will deliver a short presentation followed by responses to pre-selected community questions.
KC Fire Department Chief Ross Grundyson announced he will retire in January.
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.
The public forum will be held Thursday, Dec. 4 from 5-8 p.m. at the Truman Forum Auditorium, Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch located at 4801 Main Street.
