SEDONA AZ (December 12, 2011) – At the end of this year Captain Tim Lefler will retire from the Sedona Fire District (SFD) after more than 25 years of dedication to the Fire Service. The public is encouraged  to attend a farewell gathering for Captain Lefler at SFD Fire Station #3, 125 Slide Rock Road, in the Village of Oak Creek on Friday, December 16, 2011 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

Loving the outdoors, Lefler took a basic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class to be better prepared in the event of an emergency. Little did he know that this would be the beginning of a career in the fire service. Shortly after completing the EMT class, Tim became a volunteer with the Camp Verde Clinic and Ambulance Service in 1983. Three years later, he joined the Verde Rural Fire District, now known as the Verde Valley Fire District.

Tim Lefler came to the Sedona Fire District in December 1994 as a firefighter paramedic. He was promoted to his current position of Fire Captain in August 2001. He was one of the original full-time firefighters assigned to the Village of Oak Creek at the old fire station on Highway 179. Captain Lefler is also a member of the district’s Swiftwater Rescue and Technical Rope Rescue Teams.

After retirement Tim plans to travel with his wife, Maria. Tim plans to use his swiftwater water and technical rope skills to teach with Rescue 3 International.  Rescue 3 International was founded in 1979 after a California search and rescue team nearly lost one of its own during a water rescue. Nearly 30 years later their mission remains the same: to provide flood, water, and rope rescue training to individuals and organizations with an emphasis on ways to keep rescuers from becoming victims. As a result, Rescue 3 has risen to become the recognized leader in water and flood rescue, training over 150,000 students throughout the US and 32 foreign countries.

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