Loveland, CO, Fire Chief Placed on Administrative Leave

Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach has been at odds with Loveland officials over funding and governance issues.

By Sharla Steinman

Source Loveland Reporter-Herald, Colo. (TNS)

Jan. 30, 2026

4 min read

Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Chief Tim Sendelbach

Tim Sendelbach, chief of the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday by the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Board, said chairman of the agency’s board, Jeff Swanty, adding that he could not provide any further information in an effort to follow the board’s rules.

The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority board is made up of five members; Swanty and Paul Bukowski from the Loveland Rural Fire Protection District Board, Loveland Mayor Pat McFall, Mayor Pro Tem Andrea Samson and Loveland City Manager Jim Thompson.

Sendelbach also confirmed that he was placed on leave, but had no further comment.

Sendelbach has led the department since October 2021 and been involved with the fire service since he got his start as volunteer firefighter at his hometown department in Wilder, Kentucky.

Swanty said that while Sendelbach is on administrative leave, Assistant Chief Greg Ward will be the acting chief.

“He’s been with the department for many years, well thought of, super professional,” Swanty said about Ward. “We’re delighted that he’s willing to step up to the plate and lead it.”

McFall said the decision to place Sendelbach on leave followed a closed session and the appointment of a two-member personnel committee consisting of Swanty and Thompson.

“The board voted to appoint a committee to handle the personnel issue,” McFall said. “My understanding is that the chief was placed on administrative leave, and that’s all I can say.”

McFall said the situation did not emerge suddenly and noted that disagreements over governance and funding have been visible in public meetings. He pointed to long-standing tension over the authority’s 80-20% funding split between the city and the rural fire district, which has led to disagreements over department resources.

“There’s been some dissention,” McFall said.

Any final employment decision would ultimately need to be addressed by the full LFRA board, the mayor continued, though he said he was still reviewing the authority’s bylaws to determine the exact process.

Meanwhile, some LFRA leaders emphasized internal support for Sendelbach.

“Out of roughly 150 employees, I would say about 147 want him to stay,” Fire Marshal and Assistant Chief Carie Dann said. “In my 35 years in the fire service, I have never worked for a fire chief who knows the fire service more or who wants the organization to succeed more than Tim Sendelbach. It’s difficult for me to put into words how much of a difference he has made to this organization.”

Dann further described the decision as “extremely disappointing,” adding that fire deparment personnel have been focused on supporting one another while continuing daily operations.

“We are going to circle up and we are going to take care of each other,” she said.

During the monthly Loveland Fire Rescue Authority board meeting Wednesday, before the executive session, many members of the agency spoke during public comment about Sendelbach’s leadership capabilities and advocated for discussion on a new funding model to support the agency’s operations.

Capt. Adam Baukol said that he believed the board lost sight of the organization’s standards, adding that members have gone beyond their duties to keep up with the city’s increasing demands.

“For years now I have watched those around me overextend themselves to keep us on a path from good to great for no reason other than the pride they have in this organization,” Baukol said.

Capt. Dave Schuetz, who also handles IT for the agency, said that he has noticed recent growing frustrations with Sendelbach from the board over a lack of requested data, adding that the blame should be on him. He said that with his role as a captain, he doesn’t always have the bandwidth to support the agency’s IT demands, a job Baukol said should be full-time.

“That is a responsibility that falls on my shoulders. I am not a data analyst. I am a station captain,” he said during the meeting. “My primary responsibility should be serving the community, developing my crew and running the station …”

Although he didn’t mention Sendelbach’s leave, he urged the board to support Sendelbach to lead the department and trust his vision for the future.

Fire engineer Tony Distefano said that he and other members of the organization would stand alongside Sendelbach.

“At the end of the day though, the members of the LFRA stand behind our chief, to the side of our chief, in supporting our mission, and now in front of our chief to help take some of the blows,” Distefano said at the meeting. “ … He stands by his people and he takes care of us in every way that he can.”