Tim Lefler has no regrets about the career change he made in the 1980s. He also has no regrets upon his pending retirement from the Sedona Fire District.

“I’ll be happy. It’s been a good run — that’s for sure,” Lefler said. “Do you know how much stuff you gather after 25 years?”

Lefler said being a firefighter wasn’t one of his childhood lifelong dreams, although he has a picture of himself as a toddler sitting on a pedal-powered fire truck.

Becoming a firefighter evolved when he took an emergency medical technician class at Yavapai College Clarkdale Campus in 1982. Lefler thought it would be nice to have the skills.

“I had a young family and we liked to hike and camp, so I wanted to be sure I knew what to do if an emergency happened,” he said.

Then a neighbor who retired from an ambulance company in Camp Verde found out he took the class and said, “You have to help us.” Lefler decided to volunteer as an EMT with the Camp Verde Fire District.

“As an EMT, we’d respond to fires as standby. I saw the firefighters running into burning buildings and thought it looked like fun,” Lefler said. “Again, I went to Yavapai and took Firefighter 1 and 2, sponsored by Camp Verde. As soon as I graduated, they brought me in.”

In 1986, Lefler received an offer to become a full-time, paid firefighter with then-Verde Rural Fire District under Fire Chief Jim King.  

“Helping people is what really drew me to the job — the social service and saving lives. We, as firefighters and paramedics, help mitigate some of people’s worst days,” Lefler said. “Our job is to try to restore health and/or order out of what often is chaos.”

A few months ago, Lefler and his crew answered an emergency call to a Village of Oak Creek home. The husband suddenly collapsed and his heart stopped beating. Through efforts of the firefighters and paramedics, the man successfully reached the hospital. Within about two weeks, the man was on the job again.

“It goes back to saving people’s lives. That’s really rewarding,” Lefler said.

At Verde Rural, which merged with Cornville Fire District to become Verde Valley Fire District, Lefler earned his paramedic certification in 1988. Six years later, Lefler took a job as a paramedic firefighter for Sedona Fire District, achieving the rank of captain in 2000.

On Friday, Dec. 16, Lefler will achieve another rank: retired paramedic firefighter.

“It’s funny. The last three or four months as I’m wrapping up, I kind of look at it differently. I think about what I’d like to be remembered here for,” Lefler said.

He talked about two accomplishments: He organized the local firefighters union and served as president for seven years.

“What made me proud about it was the members’ list of concerns talked primarily about how they could become better equipped and staffed to help the community,” Lefler said.

The group raised money for charities like Feed the Hungry and the Muscular Dystrophy Association Boot Drive.

Lefler also redesigned and rebuilt the technical rescue team after many members left when the district became a full-time force. Those volunteers who left had other job obligations.

“In the process we opened the training to all of the Sedona and Verde Valley departments and districts, largely for the rope and swift water rescues. That way each agency could respond in their own areas. It eliminated any wait time for a team to arrive,” Lefler said.

After retirement, Lefler looks forward to more time with his wife Maria, who is from Venezuela.

“Maria’s been very supportive of my commitment to the district,” he said. “We have a little four-wheel drive motor home and will travel around the states. We want to travel internationally at least once a year, if we can swing it.”

The first trip is already planned to Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam.

“It’ll take a while to take that all in,” Lefler said.

Lefler also plans to continue teaching search and rescue.

“I’m going to miss serving the community. I’m going to miss my crew. I’ll get involved with something to serve but I’m not sure yet what that will be,” he said. “It was a hard decision to leave. I’d like to think I made a difference. I hope I’m remembered that way.”

SFD Interim Fire Chief Terry Keller invites the public to an open house in Lefler’s honor  Friday, Dec. 16, between 1 and 4 p.m. at Station No. 3, 125 Slide Rock Road in the Village of Oak Creek.