Sedona Interim Fire Chief Terry Keller

Sedona AZ (June 24, 2011) -The Sedona Fire District Board voted to appoint Assistant Fire Chief Terry Keller as Interim Sedona Fire Chief on June 22, 2011. Keller will fill the position of former Sedona Fire Chief, Nazih M. Hazime, until such time as the district board secures a permanent Fire Chief.

Former Sedona Fire Chief Hazime, a professional career firefighter and seasoned administrator from Dearborn, Michigan was offered and accepted his position after a nationwide search and review of qualified finalists. Less than two years into his Sedona contract, Fire Chief Hazime’s resignation is widely speculated a result of contentious relations between the Sedona Fire Department and a majority bloc of the district’s elected SFD Fire Board.

Interim Chief Keller joined the Sedona Fire District (SFD) in 1988 as a volunteer firefighter and was promoted to the position as Fire Captain in 1992. Keller was hired as a fulltime firefighter in 1995. He has held a variety of positions within the district including firefighter, Fire Captain, shift Battalion Chief, and Training Battalion Chief.

In 2007, Keller was promoted to Assistant Chief of Operations and assumed the responsibilities for operational readiness of the district. In addition to being the primary assistant to the former Fire Chief Hazime, Assistant Chief of Operations Keller was responsible for controlling, coordinating, and supervising line operations, operational functions, and station activity including personnel and equipment. Interim Fire Chief Keller will administer and implement District standards, budgets and policies.

Keller holds a Bachelor of Science in Economic and Business Administration from Northern Arizona University and an Associates of Applied Science in Fire Science from Yavapai College.

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