Scottsdale Fire Assistant Chief Ryan Freeburg is taking the helm of Glendale Fire this October. He will be hitting the ground running to ensure readiness for the special event season that will again feature the Big Game in a few short months.
“Chief Freeburg is an outstanding leader and professional,” says Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon. “He is an innovative thinker and has been integral in the strategic planning processes that have guided the SFD mission. We are sad to see him go but know that he will continue to be an amazing automatic aid partner.”
Chief Freeburg started his career in 1996 with Rural/Metro. He joined SFD as a Captain in 2005 and was promoted to Battalion Chief in 2007. He was promoted to Deputy Chief of Operations in 2011 and Assistant Chief in 2012.
He has an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Fire Science and EMT-Advanced from Scottsdale Community College. He holds his Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Administration from Grand Canyon University, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. He obtained his Certified Public Manager designation from Arizona State University.
Freeburg received the 2009 City Manager’s Award of Excellence for Collaborate as a Team and was honored in 2010 with the City Manager’s Bill Donaldson Award. He is also an InsideOut Coaching Facilitator which focuses on a different paradigm for unlocking human potential and provides solutions to leverage the knowledge, skill, and talent within people and organizations.
“I have been blessed to be part of the City of Scottsdale Fire Department, and I have been humbled to work alongside the men and women of SFD,” says Freeburg. “We have always had amazing support from the community, elected officials, and executive leadership, but the collaborative relationships between Fire and the other City departments ensured efficiency and effectiveness of service to the citizens. There will always be a special place in mine and my family’s heart for the City of Scottsdale Fire Department.”
Freeburg will officially begin as Glendale’s Fire Chief Oct. 10.
