City has a new fire marshal and realigned office

The city of San Marcos announces the hiring of Kelly Kistner, a former assistant State Fire Marshal and fire forensics professional, as new Fire Marshal.

With the hiring of Kistner, the Fire Marshal’s Office was reorganized and will now move from Neighborhood Services, where it has been housed since 2005, to the Fire Department.

“I am beyond excited to have found someone of Kelly Kistner’s caliber to join our team. His expertise, background, demeanor, and experience are second to none,” said Fire Chief Les Stephens. “He is known across the state as a leader in his field, and we are extremely fortunate to have him leading our newly created Fire Prevention Division here in San Marcos.”

Kistner will lead the recently reorganized Fire Prevention Division, which also includes two Fire Department captains, Clint Foehner and Jonathan Henderson, and Lidia Contreras, who has served for many years as the administrative coordinator for Neighborhood Services. The reorganization will allow Fire Prevention and Fire Protection personnel to operate under one city department, allowing for a more effective and efficient delivery of services to residents.

“The city of San Marcos is a growing city and it’s going to be exciting working with developers, contractors, the Fire Department, city leaders, and citizens. The Fire Prevention Division wants to be a resource and a partner for them,” Kistner said. “It will also be rewarding to work with the diverse populations in San Marcos and be part of the team that will educate San Marcos residents and visitors about fire safety.”

Kistner brings extensive fire prevention and fire marshal experience to the city. Prior to joining the San Marcos Fire Department, he was the Assistant State Fire Marshal in Texas where he led state-wide operations for fire inspections, fire investigations, and public education related to fire prevention.

Kistner was also the first full-time fire marshal in Guadalupe County, where he was instrumental in the development of the office and the adoption of the county’s fire code. In addition to his public service experience, Kistner spent multiple years in the private sector concentrating on forensics related to fire and explosion investigations.

Kistner received his Bachelor’s degree from Texas State University in Geography with a concentration in Urban Planning. He will soon complete his Master’s degree in Forensics from Oklahoma State University.

• Submitted by the city of San Marcos