The Board of Directors for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District (Metro Fire) announced on August 5th their selection of Todd Harms as the next Fire Chief.

After Fire Chief Mark Wells announced earlier in the year that he planned to retire later this year, the Board launched a nationwide search in May to recruit his successor. Given that Metro Fire is the largest fire agency in the Sacramento region and the 7th largest in California, the Board was seeking a dynamic and visionary leader in the fire service, with a passion for public safety, who would be energized by Metro Fire’s fast pace and the diversity of service demands.

“We are pleased to have Todd Harms take the lead as our new Fire Chief,” stated Board President Jack Scheidegger. “His expertise and leadership experience will add greatly to the existing excellent Metro Fire staff and provide expanded vision and perspective as we move into the future.  We are fortunate to have this opportunity to build on the fine leadership provided by Chief Wells.”

Harms has 35 years of public safety service, of which nine were spent serving as an Executive Staff member for the Phoenix Fire Department. He is currently the Assistant Chief of Operations and has also been their Assistant Chief of Personnel and the Training Division, with oversight of the Training Academy, Command Training Center, Special Operations, Emergency Medical Services, Technical Services, dispatch and the Regional 9-1-1 services.

Harms began his fire service career in 1981 as a Firefighter Paramedic in Peotone, Illinois, and in 1987, became a member of the Phoenix Fire Department. He has progressed through the ranks as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief of Special Operations and Shift Commander. He has been an Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) team member, with deployments to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Harms holds a Bachelor's degree in Fire Service Management and is a past adjunct instructor at Phoenix College in the Fire Science Program.