Tory Thompson joined the fire service in 1998. He began his career with the Pflugerville, TX, Fire Department, and over the past 20 years, he rose through the ranks. Currently, he is assigned as a captain and the safety officer. Regarding the latter, Thompson's responsibilities include implementation of health and safety initiatives, accident/injury investigations and emergency-incident management. He graduated from the Austin Community College (ACC) Fire Academy in 1998. Since then, Thompson earned an associate degree in fire protection technology from ACC, a bachelor's degree in applied arts and sciences from Texas State University and a master's of public affairs degree from University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley. He has extensive experience in leadership and management, including new officer development. Thompson developed multiple programs for his fire district, including a five-week recruit academy, an ALS education program, and a comprehensive risk and hazard mitigation program.