This week's speaker is Tom Brandhuber. Tom Brandhuber is the Fire Chief of Golder Ranch Fire District (GRFD). GRFD encompasses over 241 square miles where it provides fire suppression, advanced life support, and rescue services to a population of over 120,000 people through the Town of Oro Valley, the communities of SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch, as well as portions of unincorporated Pima and Pinal counties. In addition to the 241 square miles, GRFD covers an additional 170 miles for ambulance transportation.
Chief Brandhuber's career in the EMS and fire service began in 1989. He has worked for Golder Ranch Fire District since 2013 where his previous positions included the Assistant Chief of Essential Services and Assistant Chief of Operations. Chief Brandhuber represents the District at the regional and state levels on several committees and is currently the president of the Arizona Ambulance Association.
Before working at Golder Ranch Fire District, Chief Brandhuber worked for Rural/Metro, where he was the Division General Manager/Fire Chief for Rural/Metro and Southwest Ambulance in Pima, Graham, Greenlee, and Yuma counties. Chief Brandhuber also served in the United States Air Force Reserve from December 1988 through 2021. In his military career, he progressed through the positions of firefighter, engineer, captain, station captain, assistant chief, deputy chief, and fire chief. He was then selected as the senior enlisted advisor to the commander. Chief Brandhuber performed in this position at the Group Level, Wing Level, and the numbered Air Force Level.
Chief Brandhuber's education includes a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Administration. He is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy. He holds the Chief Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Chief Brandhuber has been married to his wife Tamara for 29 years and has four daughters, Tory, Paige, Jasmine, and Bailey.
