It was an opportunity Jeff Piechura couldn’t say no to. For more than two years Piechura serviced as assistant chief with the Sedona Fire District. But Thursday, April 26, was his last day with the district as he ventures to Tucson where he spent the first 28 years of his firefighting career.
“We’ve always called Tucson home,” he said. “In fact, in January we purchased a retirement home there, which we had planned to move into in a few years, but then this opportunity came up.”
Piechura’s new position will be with the city of Tucson, and even though he will no longer be a firefighter, he will be working closely with its fire department by helping review programs and services.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with Chief [Kris] Kazian, as well as everyone in this organization,” he said. “We love it here, and I will definitely miss the colleagues and people I’ve met over the last two years. There are truly some great souls here.”
That feeling is mutual.
“Jeff’s done some really amazing work for our organization and helped to get us to a new place,” Kazian told the SFD Governing Board on April 18, when announcing Piechura’s departure. “He’s been a great resource for me as fire chief with him having nearly 40 years in the business. It’s been amazing.
“When we offered him the job, we knew it wasn’t a forever deal. While I wish forever was a little bit longer, I don’t fault him for taking this opportunity. I’m going to miss him personally, but I know he’s just a phone call away.”
During that meeting Piechura said that, through his journeys and adventures, he’s seen agencies that are nimble and agile and others that are not so well, as they fear change.
“These last two years have been amazing, and thank you so much for allowing me to serve and be part of an organization that truly works hard daily and prepares itself for the tasks at hand,” he said. “I will tell you the Sedona Fire District membership and the organization is nimble, agile and resilient. These people want to learn new things that are best practice. They want to excel while protecting and serving the community members.”
Kazian said there is no time frame yet in regard to replacing Piechura. Once the budget process is complete, he said SFD will then be able to focus on hiring a new assistant chief. In the meantime, Battalion Chief Jayson Coil will serve in an interim position.
Prior to coming to Sedona, Piechura spent time with the fire department in Stockton, Calif. Despite being into his fourth decade in the fire service, he said every stop in his career has been a learning experience.
On those lines, he did offer some advice for his future replacement.
“Come in with an open mind and be willing to listen because the people here are all professionals and know what they’re doing,” he said.
Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795 ext. 122, or email reland@larsonnewspapers.com
