Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner
A native Phoenician, Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner joined the Phoenix Fire Department in 1985. During her nearly 30 years of service, she has held the ranks of Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, Division Chief, Deputy Chief and Executive Assistant Chief of Administration.
She has been managing the Fire Department's annual $300 million budget, carefully stewarding taxpayer dollars and city resources while serving as PFD’s liaison to City Hall and the City's Law Department. In this role, Chief Kalkbrenner handled management of the City’s Fire Emergency Transportation Services (ETS) section, which performs billing and collections for all the City’s ambulance transports. The Chief also directed the health and wellness of the Fire Department's more than 2,000 active members and its retirees through the Fire Department's Health Center and managed the Resource Management, Facilities Management and Fleet Management Sections of the Department.
Chief Kalkbrenner holds an Associate Degree in Fire Science from Phoenix College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Service Management from Ottawa University. She has served as adjunct instructor for the Fire Services program at Maricopa County Community Colleges.
Chief Kalkbrenner and her husband Kevin – the Emergency Management Coordinator – live in Phoenix. When they’re not at work, they enjoy traveling and spending time with their extended family.
As Fire Chief, Chief Kalkbrenner is one of only six female Fire Chiefs of large metropolitan fire departments in the country.
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