Gov. Eric J. Holcomb today announced he has selected Indiana State Fire Marshal Stephen Cox to serve as the executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
“Steve understands the nuts and bolts mission of the Department of Homeland Security. He spent his first 60 days as fire marshal listening and engaging responders across the state, and because of that I’m confident he will be a strong leader for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security as they protect the people, property and prosperity of our state,†Gov. Holcomb said.
Gov. Holcomb appointed Cox in October 2019 as the state fire marshal to lead the Indiana Department of Homeland Security Division of Fire and Building Safety. The division investigates suspicious fires, promotes fire prevention and enforces fire and building safety codes in all public buildings, among other duties.
Prior to serving in state government, Cox was the fire chief in South Bend. He worked for the South Bend Fire Department for 26 years, with 12 years in executive leadership. With the South Bend Fire Department, he served as a paramedic, firefighter, EMS instructor, and EMS chief of the fire department, before being promoted to fire chief in 2012.
As fire chief, Cox created a fire training center which has enabled the department to build a robust training program to support the South Bend department as well as other departments in the state. He also collaborated with the Indiana National Guard to form a Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, an important asset for Indiana’s disaster preparedness.
Cox served in the U.S. Army as a combat medic overseas in the 101st Airborne. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and has also earned numerous FEMA certifications related to the National Incident Management System.
Cox will begin his new position immediately. An interim state fire marshal will be appointed.
