The call came in around 9:15 p.m. Normally, phone calls to the Sedona Fire District fire chief that late are rarely good but this was one Kris Kazian had been waiting for.

On Thursday, Nov. 15, Kazian was offered a position of fire chief for Windsor Severance Fire Rescue in northern Colorado. And while he felt confident that he was going to get the job, it was not a forgone conclusion. But Kazian said he knew that if offered, he was going to accept it.

“From my initial interaction to the final process, the professionalism and culture of WSFR seems to be a perfect fit for me,” he said. “I like the work the fire district has done — recently accredited, they seem to have a high- performing management team and the firefighters and staff seem like we will be able to accomplish many things. It seems like it will be a perfect match for my leadership style and what I can do to help as the fire chief.” Kazian’s last day with SFD will be Friday, Jan. 11, with a start date in Windsor not long after that. He said he’s confident that the SFD Governing Board will find a qualified replacement but until then, he knows his staff will handle the day-to-day needs and assist in the recruitment and selection. He said Windsor is diverse and growing, allowing for many opportunities for his entire family.

Since he and his wife, Kristy, have lived apart for nearly four years, they decided it was time for them to live under one roof again as opposed to him spending weekends in Phoenix or them coming to Sedona. And as a bonus, their older daughter also lives in Windsor.

“Once my wife and I, along with our kids, talked about the reality of living together again, it became clear to all of us, it was time to move on and share my leadership and passion with another community,” he said. Even though the decision to accept the Windsor job was an easy one, Kazian said it means leaving a job and people that mean a lot to him. “

I love Sedona Fire and our community,” he said. “I have worked incredibly hard for nearly seven years to build the organization and create a culture of sustainability and transparency while focusing on establishing efficient and effective operations that benefit those we serve and those who work at Sedona Fire District. We have one of the best teams this side of the Rocky Mountains and I am honored to have been part of this organization.”

But it hasn’t all been a bed of roses, especially as of late.

“The politics over the past year or so have illustrated a lack of civility and demeaning hostility towards good and hardworking public officials and those serving our community,” Kazian said.

“I truly do not believe anyone should be subjected to that sort of behavior. Please understand I am willing to hold myself to a higher standard and can certainly take the heat, but unwarranted and malicious attacks eventually can take its toll.”

“I worked hard to protect the community but I also need to take care of myself,” Kazian said.

“Sadly, regardless of the election results, we all need to work a little bit harder to be a kinder and more respectful community. We live in the most beautiful place in the world, I would hope people could embrace that beauty and positive energy.”

When Kazian came to Sedona he said there was a lot to learn and often felt like he was facing an uphill battle for a variety of reasons. Aside from the fact he was hired under a pending board recall election, he had to establish a complex, long-range financial model, build a new fire station, deal with the Slide Fire, build the 9/11 memorial, and deal with the decision to request a bond for long-term capital needs because there was no more capital funding left due to the actions of the prior governing board.

“It all sounds like a lot of work and it was, but I loved the challenge and I loved that we were able to maintain the public trust and most importantly maintain the respect of the community,” he said. “Seeing the [recent] election results, I am confident this community has spoken that they expect to maintain the amazing service SFD provides and the system is not broken.”

When asked what he will miss most, it took little time to respond. “I will miss the amazing people I got to work with over the years,” he said. “We all learned so much from one another. I was a brand new fire chief in a very complex system. I will miss all the challenges SFD has given me. I have grown as a person and as a leader. I know I have the skills to help a community and I will proudly take what I have learned and share with the next community.”