Sharon McDonough was appointed by the City of Tucson as the next chief of the Tucson Fire Department (TFD). She has served in the fire service for over 30 years in different roles.
This appointment comes after former chief Chuck Ryan announced his retirement. Most recently, McDonough was director of the Public Safety Communications Department.
I met with the new chief to ask what her plans are for the department in her new role. She says the first few months are going to be all about immersing herself in every aspect of the department to learn the ins and outs to better serve her staff.
“I certainly have the experience of living at the fire department, running the calls, but that was a while ago, and I need to see how it feels today," McDonough said.
Having joined the Tucson Fire Department in 1990, McDonough is happy to return to her home turf. She served as a firefighter and deputy chief.
“There’s so much feeling that comes with this position, with everything we do here, our whole job and whole sense of self is about service back to our community, so I’m excited to get going there," she said.
Right now, McDonough is the Interim Fire Chief and starts her permanent role as Chief of TFD on June 2nd. I asked what the first few months of being chief will look like for her.
“Lots of gathering of information," McDonough said. "Then we’re going to work on solving the problems that exist.”
Fire stations nationwide are facing staffing shortages. The new chief says staying connected with city leaders and making internal changes will create a more efficient fire department.
“There's a couple of things we have to do. One, we have to look at the kind of calls we're running right now and see if there are alternative ways to run those calls or an alternative resource that we could utilize," she said. "So, we've got a lot of work to do internally, and then we have a lot of work to do with our city leadership.”
As far as any funding changes, McDonough says they will look internally to assess where they can adjust.
"I know that there are some challenges with the city budget. We did not get Prop 414 to be appealing to the voters. Certainly, that will create some difficulties as we move forward, as far as the budget goes. But we will be looking into our budget a little more deeply to see if we have funds allocated in the positions that are bringing us the most bang for the buck," McDonough said.
Temperatures are rising in Tucson, and fire season is approaching. McDonough shares how she will help her crews stay well-prepared.
"So, there are lots of things, but I think the biggest key, number one thing is that we have to take good care of the troops. They need to be able to feel healthy and well in order to be able to take good care of you and me out in that community," the new chief said. "Our lives depend on their lives being healthy and well. So, our number one focus is going to be ensuring that they have the equipment, the safety equipment, the right kind of fire stations, the right kind of rigs that keep them safe, and then addressing that imbalance between resources and demand.
The newly appointed leader has deep roots in Tucson, and all of her family is connected to public service in their own ways.
“I have a huge family in Tucson," she shared. "We all live here, and knowing that there’s a reliable service to help them in their time of need is important to me.”
McDonough is the first woman to serve as a chief officer in the department, but says what matters more about this role is having courage.
“It's not lost on me that I'm a role model, certainly for my daughters and for young women in our community. What I want to say to them is, you know, if you work hard and you have passion for what you do, you could get wherever you need to get," McDonough said.
RELATED NEWS | Firefighter and role model: NWFD firefighter encourages others to aim high
——
Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
