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ABOUT US

About Us

The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is the chief coordinating agency for disaster response in the nation’s fourth-largest City. OEM provides emergency response coordination and communication assistance to City agencies, and serves as liaison to regional, state and federal agencies during times of emergency. In addition, OEM engages with the local community to promote emergency preparedness through a variety of initiatives.

Our Mission

“The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management is committed to safeguarding everyone who lives, works, and plays in Houston against all hazards and threats through coordinated planning and response with a trusted, compassionate, and diverse team focused on people, professionalism, preparedness, and partnerships.”

Our Vision

“A national leader in Emergency Management that serves as Houston’s trusted and compassionate resource for the whole community during the worst of times.”

Mark Rayne currently serves as the Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator. Prior to joining OEM, Mark spent 29 years with the Houston Police Department serving in the patrol division, the juvenile division, criminal investigations, and special operations. He is also retired from the Texas Army National Guard with 29 years of service. During his tenure with the Houston Police Department he wrote the plans for several large events such as Super Bowl 51, NCAA Final Four, and five Houston marathons. [email protected]
Mark Rayne Profile

Mark Rayne

Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator

Brian Mason Profile Image

Brian Mason

Emergency Management Coordinator/Executive Director

Mayor John Whitmire has named Brian Mason Deputy Director and Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management, where he will be responsible for overseeing the city’s emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Mason also serves as the Executive Director for Houston Transtar, the southeast Texas region’s transportation and emergency management center. 

Mason has previously worked in Safety Management for the Houston Airport System and as a Program Manager and BioWatch Jurisdictional Coordinator for the Department of Homeland Security.

With 24 years of diverse experience in emergency response, crisis and emergency management, homeland security, industrial hygiene, health and safety, and environmental remediation, Mason has established a widely respected reputation for leadership and strategic vision.

He most recently helped lead the response and recovery during the May Derecho and Hurricane Beryl. His experience with emergency response spans incidents of major national significance, including multiple hurricanes, two Super Bowls, the STS 107 Columbia Shuttle Recovery, the BP Texas City Explosion, and the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill.

Mason holds a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Texas State University and an Associate of Arts and Sciences from Richland College, which underpin his professional competence.

Mason’s professional excellence is further underscored by his receipt of the 2021 American Public Works Association, Texas Chapter Exemplary Services to Public Works, and the 2020 American Public Works Association, Texas Chapter Professional Manager of the Year, Emergency Management awards.

Mason replaces Thomas Munoz who was appointed Chief of the Houston Fire Department.

Vlad Ibarra Profile

Vlad Ibarra

Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator

Vladimir (Vlad) Ibarra currently serves as the Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator. Vlad oversees the Planning Section and focuses on strategic development, planning, and resiliency. Vlad is a certified Emergency Manager with over a decade of community engagement, intergovernmental affairs, and emergency management experience in municipal, county and state government. Prior to joining OEM, Vlad served as the Senior Emergency Planning Coordinator for Santa Clara County, California where he developed and implemented emergency plans for an operational area of two million people. During his tenure, he was deployed to the Camp Fire as Plans Section Chief in 2018 and received the 2020 Emergency Manager of the Year in recognition of his efforts throughout Santa Clara County. In his previous capacities, Vlad served as Deputy Director of the Providence Emergency Management Agency & Office of Homeland Security and Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of the Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor. Vlad has a Master’s in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense) from the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security, attended Harvard Kennedy School of Government Executive Education and is a 2021 graduate of the National Emergency Management Executive Academy.

[email protected]

Mark Rayne currently serves as the Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator. Prior to joining OEM, Mark spent 29 years with the Houston Police Department serving in the patrol division, the juvenile division, criminal investigations, and special operations. He is also retired from the Texas Army National Guard with 29 years of service. During his tenure with the Houston Police Department he wrote the plans for several large events such as Super Bowl 51, NCAA Final Four, and five Houston marathons.

[email protected]

Brent Taylor Profile

Brent Taylor

Chief Communications Officer

Julian Ochoa Profile

Julian Ochoa

Emergency Preparedness Manager for Vulnerable Communities

Julian Ochoa is OEM’s first Emergency Preparedness Manager for Vulnerable Communities. In this role, Ochoa serves as a key collaborator, working with leaders in local healthcare, non-government and faith leaders, and emergency planners to advocate for those who often require more resources during all phases of an incident-preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.

Ochoa accepted this new role after working with OEM as a Community Engagement Coordinator updating the City’s plans for Comprehensive Emergency Management and Hazard Mitigation, as well as the Office’s DAFN Framework. Prior to his time with the City, Ochoa worked for Harris County, BakerRipley, and UNESCO United Nations Paris within the Legal Committee of Human Rights and Resilience Committee, United Nations Vienna, and the Department for Drugs and Crime Prevention (UNODC).

Ochoa holds a Law Degree from Universidad Catolica del Táchira, Venezuela; a Masters in International Business (Harvard Negotiation Program) from Pompeu Fabra University School of Business in Barcelona, Spain, and is a former Doctoral student at the Universidad de Salamanca Law School in Salamanca, Spain.  In his downtime, Julian loves to enjoy time with his wife and children.

[email protected]

Plans & Programs

The Office of Emergency Management’s mission is to help our city, its residents, businesses, and partners prepare for, cope with, and recover from the effects of natural and man-made disasters. Our initiatives include the City’s Emergency Management Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, Operational Plans, Healthcare Emergency Plans, and much more. 

Read on to learn more about our activities and how you can be part of a safer Houston. The Office of Emergency Management’s mission is to help our City, its residents, businesses, and partners prepare for, cope with, and recover from the effects of natural and man-made disasters.

Our initiatives include the City’s Emergency Management Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, Operational Plans, Healthcare Emergency Plans, and much more.  Read on to learn more about our activities and how you can be part of a safer Houston.

The Disaster Mitigation Act requires that hazard mitigation plans be reviewed and revised every five years to maintain eligibility for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant funding. Hazard mitigation activities are an investment in a community’s safety and sustainability. It is widely accepted that the most effective hazard mitigation measures are implemented at the local government level, where decisions on the regulation and control of development are ultimately made. A comprehensive review of a hazard mitigation plan addresses hazard vulnerability that exists today and in the foreseeable future. Therefore, it is essential that a plan identifies projected patterns of how future development will increase or decrease a community’s overall hazard vulnerability.

Click Here To View The Public Copy Of The City Of Houston’s Hazard Mitigation Plan

For General Inquiries: [email protected] or call  (713) 884-4500.

The City of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has been updating the city-wide emergency and recovery plans to address hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, extreme heat, extreme cold, and winter storms. An important component of maintaining resiliency across Houston is to ensure the whole community is involved and that OEM understands the needs of its residents.

NEWS RELEASEs

NEWS RELEASE - BRIAN MASON Image

Mayor Whitmire appoints new Emergency Management Coordinator

Houston OEM Announces First Preparedness Manager For Vulnerable Communities News Image

Houston OEM Announces First Preparedness Manager For Vulnerable Communities

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