Cy-Fair fire chief wins top national honor

Cy-Fair Fire Chief Amy Ramon has been named the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Fire Chief of the Year, recognizing more than three decades of leadership in northwest Harris County, Texas. The award highlights her operational turnaround of the department, firefighter wellness programs, and influence across Texas and national fire service circles.

Why it matters: - Amy Ramon’s recognition puts Cy-Fair Fire Department leadership on the national stage. - The award honors leadership, innovation, integrity, and lifetime contributions to the fire service. - The honor reflects how one chief can shape response capacity, firefighter health, budgeting, and public safety for a fast-growing region.

What happened: - The International Association of Fire Chiefs named Ramon its Fire Chief of the Year at Fire-Rescue International in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. - Ramon was nominated by the Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 Board of Commissioners. - Support letters came from the International Association of Fire Fighters, the Cy-Fair Professional Firefighters Association, and Cy-Fair Fire Department leadership. - Ramon entered the fire service in 1990 as a 20-year-old volunteer firefighter with Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department. - The IAFC award recognizes one career fire chief and one volunteer fire chief nationwide each year.

The details: - The IAFC created the award in 1996. - Judges evaluate a chief’s full body of work, with special attention this year to 2023 through 2025. - Ramon advanced through firefighter, paramedic, station officer, board member, and assistant chief of EMS roles before becoming fire chief in July 2014. - She has led Cy-Fair for 12 years and spent more than three decades in the fire service. - Cy-Fair now staffs all 13 stations around the clock with full-time, part-time, and volunteer personnel. - When Ramon took over, only four of the department’s 13 stations had 24-hour fire suppression coverage. - The department serves more than 600,000 residents and handles about 46,000 emergency incidents a year. - Cy-Fair runs 16 medic units daily. - Plans are underway for eight additional stations over the next decade. - Ramon is a credentialed Chief Fire Officer, a Certified Fire Executive, and a licensed attorney with a Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law. - Her leadership has included a comprehensive mental health program for firefighters and their families. - The mental health program has reached more than 54% utilization among personnel. - Ramon also implemented cancer screening initiatives for firefighters. - Ramon sits on the Executive Board of the Harris County Fire Chiefs Association, which represents more than 50 agencies. - She serves as second vice president of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and is in line to become president next year. - Ramon teaches at the Texas Fire Chiefs Association’s Battalion Chief and Company Officer academies. - She also advocates at the Texas Capitol on firework safety, firefighter wellness, and funding mechanisms for local fire departments. - Her peers named her Texas Fire Chief of the Year in 2024.

Between the lines: - The award highlights a broader shift from a volunteer-heavy model to a large combination department with full-time coverage across all stations. - Ramon’s nomination emphasized budget management, including a self-sustaining $102 million operations budget and a $38 million capital budget. - The recognition also points to the growing importance of firefighter wellness programs in department leadership. - Support letters framed Ramon as a steady leader under political pressure and public scrutiny.

What’s next: - Cy-Fair plans to add eight more stations over the next decade as population growth continues. - Ramon is positioned to move into the Texas Fire Chiefs Association presidency next year. - She is expected to remain a leading voice on firefighter wellness, firework safety, and local fire funding.

The bottom line: - Ramon’s award recognizes more than tenure. It reflects a department-wide transformation in service, staffing, safety, and leadership.