Mark Engholm ’96 helps the people of Kansas stay safe as state fire marshal
When Mark Engholm ’96 was growing up, he lived in a small town served by a volunteer
fire department. He also remembers meeting a member of his family’s church who worked
as both a local police officer and as a volunteer firefighter.
Those early encounters with the emergency response profession left what Engholm calls
an “indelible mark” on him as a child. After his family moved to Kansas, teenage Engholm
was recruited by another family church friend, Sergeant Tony VanBuren of the Kansas
Highway Patrol, to attend the Cadet Law Enforcement Academy, a one-week opportunity
for high school students to attend the Highway Patrol’s academy in Salina.
“After that week, my goal was to become a Kansas state trooper,” Engholm said. “However,
my interest in the fire service was still percolating under my desire for a career
in law enforcement, so my plan was to serve as a volunteer firefighter wherever my
career took me.”
Engholm’s career has taken him on quite a journey over the years, but remaining consistent
are his passion for public safety and his desire to serve the people of Kansas. Recently,
he was appointed state fire marshal of Kansas by Gov. Laura Kelly.
According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Engholm’s responsibilities and areas of expertise include fire prevention; elevator
safety; regulation of explosives and fireworks; the investigation of fires and explosions;
and providing both hazardous materials and search and rescue emergency response throughout
the state of Kansas.
“I am enjoying the challenge of learning about and administering the wide range of
duties of our office, while traveling around the state and visiting with firefighters
and fire leaders about the challenges they are facing,” he said.
We asked Engholm to share more about his experiences as a nontraditional student at
K-State and some of the highlights from his career as an emergency responder.
At K-State: How did K-State support/encourage you during your experience as a nontraditional student and pursuing your degree while working full-time?
Engholm: I graduated from Junction City High School and attended Bradley University
in Illinois for three years, earning 90 credit hours in their criminal justice program.
I also served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with the
West Peoria, Illinois, Fire Department during college. Each summer, I returned to
Kansas and worked as a clerk and 911 dispatcher for the Geary County Sheriff’s Office,
awaiting my 21st birthday when I could start my law enforcement career.
You have to understand that, at that time, I was laser focused on a law enforcement
career and I was in a rush to start my life. So, when the opportunity came to start
working full-time as a deputy sheriff / firefighter in Geary County, all my thoughts
of college came to a crashing halt.
These were the days before online education. My wife, Tamatha ’98, who was a graduate
student at K-State, found out about the Interdisciplinary Studies Program and, after
some prodding, she made me realize it was the best option to allow me to complete
my bachelor’s degree.
The Interdisciplinary Studies Program allows students the flexibility to customize
their degree based on their particular interests and past college work. The staff
within the Interdisciplinary Studies Program worked around my full-time work schedule
and helped me attain the courses to complete my degree.
What are some of the skills/knowledge you gained from your K-State education that impacted you throughout your career?
The most important skill that I took from my K-State college experience was learning and developing the ability to think critically. This skill has allowed me to correctly assess and filter information that we are deluged with to identify the most important issues, analyze those issues from different viewpoints, avoid the pitfalls of cognitive bias, and develop creative ways to attack and solve problems.
What have been some of your career highlights/most memorable experiences?
I completed my studies at K-State, graduating with a degree in interdisciplinary social
science with an emphasis in the administration of criminal justice. I did not attend
my K-State graduation as by then, I had joined the Kansas Highway Patrol and was in
the midst of their 22-week training academy. Following graduation, my wife and I relocated
to my first duty station, Osage County, where I started patrolling and joined the
Osage City Fire Department.
I later transferred to Shawnee County where I served in a number of roles for the
Highway Patrol, including legislative liaison and public information officer, while
also serving on the Shawnee Heights Fire District. I also served on the Kansas Incident
Management Team as a public information officer and operations section chief, deploying
to assist in managing disasters in Kansas, Alabama and Louisiana. I was honored to
be the first trooper assigned to the Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center, where I was
able to receive invaluable training from the Defense Intelligence Agency.
I was later assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Topeka, where I conducted
counter-terrorism investigations. When the FBI found out about my firefighting experience
and that I was a hazardous materials technician, they recruited me into their Hazardous
Evidence Response Team (a crime scene investigation team trained and equipped to work
with hazardous materials or in hazardous environments) and to serve as an assistant
weapons of mass destruction coordinator. I investigated a number of different terrorism
cases during my 10 years on the task force, including the ISIS motivated vehicle bombing
plot at Fort Riley in 2015.
While investigating the mass mailing of “white powder” letters to more than 100 members
of the Kansas Legislature in 2023, I was encouraged to submit my resume to Gov. Kelly
to replace retiring state fire marshal Doug Jorgensen. Following a lengthy vetting
process, the governor appointed me as state fire marshal in November and I was confirmed
by the Kansas Senate when they gathered for the legislative session earlier this year.
What are you most excited about/looking forward to in your role as state fire marshal?
The Kansas fire service, especially our volunteers, are facing dwindling interest
in public service and volunteerism while costs of operating and equipment have rapidly
increased. The future of the volunteer fire service in Kansas, which is responsible
for protecting 95% of our state, and is responsible for fighting the increasing wildfire
threat, is in danger.
I am looking forward to working with the governor and our legislators to find ways
the state can assist in recruiting new volunteers, sustaining our volunteer fire departments,
and ensuring the future of the volunteer fire service in Kansas.