A native Phoenician, Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner joined the Phoenix Fire Department in 1985. During her 37 plus years of service, she held the ranks of Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, Division Chief, Deputy Chief and Executive Assistant Chief of Administration.

Chief Kalkbrenner was one of only six female Fire Chiefs of large metropolitan fire departments in the country. Her philosophy is that public administrators are community stakeholders and play an integral role in shaping the community where they work and live. Chief Kalkbrenner led 2,300 members and oversaw an operating budget of more than $550 million dollars, carefully stewarding taxpayer dollars and city resources while serving as Phoenix Fire Department’s Fire Chief.

Chief Kalkbrenner served in every operational capacity within the Department’s six divisions, including Operations (Fire and Emergency Medical Services response), Fire Prevention, Human Resources, Physical Resources, Information Technology, and Training. That experience provided her with the insight and understanding of all aspects of the Phoenix Fire Department.

Chief Kalkbrenner’s Labor/Management Teams had an ongoing commitment to present-day Strategic Plans that addressed the current and future needs of the community and Phoenix Fire Department. The Strategic Plans were the guiding force for continued innovation and customer service to the citizens of Phoenix. The plans include the 26 jurisdictions the Phoenix Fire Automatic Aid System responds into. The plans kept the PFD and the Automatic Aid Consortium relevant and continue to move the organizations forward. These plans include six key initiatives:

• Comprehensive Training and Development

• Technology and Communications

• Assess and Prioritize Fire Department Programs and Needs

• Management of Human Resources

• Analysis and Management of Data

• Emergency Service Delivery and Deployment Model

Chief Kalkbrenner holds an Associate Degree in Fire Science from Phoenix College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Service Management from Ottawa University, and is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School. She has also served as an adjunct instructor for the Fire Services program at Maricopa County Community Colleges.