Loveland, CO, Fire Chief Separates from Fire Authority

Tim Sendelbach is no longer chief of the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority.

During a virtual special meeting Thursday afternoon, the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Board unanimously approved a joint separation agreement between Sendelbach and the LFRA. Loveland Mayor Pat McFall, who serves on the board, made the motion and said the separation agreement was negotiated with Sendelbach.

While many community members said they are disappointed in the decision, others respect it, saying the public doesn’t know what was discussed in LFRA board executive sessions.

Sendelbach said the joint separation agreement was the best outcome he could have hoped for at this point, adding that there are conditions in the agreement he can’t discuss, but that the separation from LFRA was amicable. Sendelbach said he was not terminated from the organization, although the fire chief did initially receive a notice of intent to terminate his contract.

He said he was sad and disappointed to be leaving the LFRA.

“There is still work to be done and I acknowledge that,” Sendelbach said. “You always want to conclude what you start, but I think it’s being left in fully capable hands, and I am incredibly proud of the members of the LFRA, their support. I know they will do fine.”

After the motion was approved by the board, the meeting quickly ended. Chairman Jeff Swanty didn’t provide any additional comment and referred Reporter-Herald’s request to legal staff.

Since the fire chief was placed on administrative leave by the board Jan. 28, several special LFRA board meetings were held to continue the termination process. Swanty was appointed to a personnel committee during that January meeting, along with City Manager Jim Thompson, who also serves on the board.

After a unanimous vote, the board sent Sendelbach a notice of intent to terminate his contract, which included the board’s “just cause” reasons for pursuing termination. The board has not publicly stated its reasons for pursuing termination and refused to answer questions about what it referred to as a confidential personnel matter.

However, the Loveland Reporter-Herald obtained the termination notice through an open record request. The board wrote that Sendelbach lacked transparency and shared misleading information.

Authority board cites lack of transparency, misleading information in Loveland fire chief termination

Sendelbach disputed most of the board’s claims in a 40-page response letter, which was obtained by the Reporter-Herald through the city’s system for viewing public emails, Global Relay.

Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach responds to Loveland authority board termination notice

Sendelbach met with the board last week in an impromptu closed executive session. In an interview with the Reporter-Herald after the meeting, he said he didn’t feel positive.

When the board returned to public session, City Council member Andrea Samson, who also serves on the LFRA Board, made a unanimously approved motion for the personnel committee to work with legal counsel to prepare a final decision terminating the fire chief’s employment with LFRA. The board met twice last week, but postponed their decision.

On Thursday, the entire board unanimously approved a joint separation agreement between LFRA and Sendelbach.

The process of hiring a new fire chief can take around four months once an executive search firm is chosen, wrote LFRA Human Resources Manager Andrea Wright in an emailed statement. She added that the timeline and individual steps in the process can vary by firm, but that the most recent hiring process with Sendelbach included a public reception with finalists.

“Attendees at that event were able to provide feedback which the LFRA Board considered as part of their decision-making process,” Wright wrote.

Assistant Chief Greg Ward has been the acting chief since Sendelbach was placed on leave at the end of January.

Chief Sendelbach’s legacy at LFRA is defined by his unwavering commitment to firefighter health and wellness, and his steadfast dedication to protecting our community from the threat of wildfire," Ward wrote in a text message.

Sendelbach first joined the firefighting profession in 1985 at his hometown fire department in Wilder, Kentucky as a volunteer firefighter. He eventually became editor-in-chief of a fire and emergency services media organization. He came to LFRA from the Kingman Fire Department in Kingman, Arizona, where he served as the assistant fire chief.

During his swearing in speech in 2021, Sendelbach said his focus was on firefighter safety and wellness and increased marketing for the agency so that the general public is more familiar with LFRA’s work.

Tim Sendelbach officially sworn in as Loveland fire chief; ‘It took 35 years. I’m here.’

Over the last seven weeks, the Loveland community has been vocal about the termination process during public comment, at rallies, through petitions, and in online statements.

Chair of the Fire Rescue Advisory Commission Scott Kretschmer said he was almost in tears hearing the news about Sendelbach, who he called one of the best, most caring people he has ever met.

“The only good thing about it is that they agreed to his terms,” Kretschmer said about the joint separation agreement. “It is unbelievable what they have done.”

Rural District resident Tracey Powell said during public comment at a Loveland Rural Fire Protection Board meeting Wednesday that she and other concerned neighbors have started the recall process for LRFPD board members.

Powell also said that someone from her group will request that Samson and Mayor McFall, who also serves on the LFRA board, be replaced on that board by different City Council members at the council’s next meeting.

“The rural and city members of Loveland, firefighters, fire chiefs across the country and many public officials are saddened and disgusted by the way he has been treated,” Powell wrote in a text message Thursday. “We are not staying silent. More to come. Good always prevails.”

Dana Foley, who served on City Council and worked with Sendelbach, said he respected the board’s decision and the entire process, adding that he, and the public, don’t know the full scope of the board’s reasoning.

“There’s a lot of information that comes out in executive session that the public isn’t aware of,” Foley said, adding that he thought it was telling the board made unanimous decisions during the seven weeks.

He also said that based on his experiences working with McFall, Samson and Thompson, that he trusts they made the decision in good faith.

Amber DeDecker, wife of an LFRA firefighter, said she would continue to stand by the department as they navigate without Sendelbach.

"There is still work to be done to ensure that real change happens," DeDecker wrote in a text message. "I will continue to stand strong beside my fire family and hold the line for truth, integrity, and transparency."

Former Fire Marshal Carie Dann said she was extremely disappointed to see the chief leaving LFRA. She said she questioned the board’s knowledge of leadership, adding that the support Sendelbach has received from the department and the community is telling of how great of a leader he is, Dann said.

“It makes me question their judgement on everything. If they believe he should not be leading us, what is their judgment like? … If you’re on a board, you should support the group you're governing,” Dann said. “I just don’t think they understand or support Loveland Fire.”

President of IAFF Local 3566 Craig Willard said the union was also disappointed to see Sendelbach leaving the department, adding that the decision doesn't change the fundamental issues the fire department is facing.

"It is time to modernize the governance structure, unify the partners into a single fire district, and pursue long-term solutions that equitably and properly support fire and rescue services," Willard wrote in an emailed statement. " ... While Chief Sendelbach's fight has come to an end with the board's official decision, our campaign for change is far from over.

Firefighter Melissa Kirkpatrick said Sendelbach was a tremendous asset to LFRA, adding that he was a visionary and dedicated leader. She said she feels the need to protect herself and the department because she doesn’t believe the LFRA board has firefighters, the department’s operational needs, or the community’s safety in their best interest.

“The firefighters of LFRA do not trust the board,” Kirkpatrick wrote in a written statement. “... Moving forward, the firefighters of LFRA have to protect ourselves and the department. All efforts moving forward will be guided by that priority. Our fight is far from over.”

Sendelbach’s termination process also grabbed the attention of fire service leaders across the country.

Retired and current fire service leaders from across the country emailed a joint letter in support of Sendelbach to members of the LFRA Board Feb. 25, which was obtained through Global Relay.

“When a five-member governing body reaches a conclusion that differs from the perspective of nationally recognized fire service leaders, it warrants careful consideration and reflection,” the letter stated. “Leadership carries authority, but it also carries the responsibility to recognize the limits of one’s perspective and to ensure that decisions of consequence are aligned with sound professional judgment.”

Sendelbach said the support from the community over the last 51 days was humbling.

“I’m not rushing off. I’ll search for the next chapter. I’m not sure what that looks like,” Sendelbach said. “Loveland as a community has been good to me.”

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