PHOENIX — For the first time in Phoenix history, a woman will lead the city’s fire department.
AZCentral reported that city officials chose Kara Kalkbrenner, a 30-year veteran of the department, to take over for outgoing Fire Chief Bob Khan, who is retiring Feb. 28 to care for his ailing father.
Kalkbrenner is a Phoenix native who joined the department in 1984, according to the report. She will serve as interim chief starting March 1 “until a national recruitment for the permanent position is concluded,” Acting City Manager Ed Zuercher said.
Kalkbrenner, the department’s executive assistant fire chief, has been Khan’s second-in-command since July, according to the report. Her previous positions include engineer, captain, division chief and deputy chief.
“In each position I’ve held, I’ve remembered my humble roots, which is working on a fire truck and serving the great citizens of Phoenix,” Kalkbrenner said at a news conference. “As I’ve (been) promoted up through the ranks, I’ve dedicated my work to ensuring that all of the members of the Phoenix Fire Department have the resources that they need to serve and protect the community.”
Chief Khan discussed the biggest challenges facing the next fire chief.
“I think we need more training,” Chief Khan said. “We need some more fire stations, especially as we start to see subdivisions come back to life. We need some new apparatus. The fleet is getting old. We’ve got some stations that are deteriorating; we need to get them restored. (These are) things that kind of went by the wayside through the recession.”
The city faces a $26 million to $52 million general-fund deficit in fiscal 2015, according to the report.
Chief Khan’s advice: “Embrace the city of Phoenix. Take good care of the people that protect them. Understand that it’s ever-evolving, and every day that you come to work try and make things a little better.”