The newly established Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue, formed through the historic municipal consolidation of the West Allis and Wauwatosa fire departments, has named veteran emergency services administrator Tim Sendelbach as its first fire chief. The appointment comes as the unified organization prepares to inaugurate integrated community services in 2027.
The department formally announced Sendelbach’s selection on Monday, Sept. 14. To finalize the hiring decision, the joint department's board of directors is scheduled to convene on Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m. at Wauwatosa City Hall. Following this procedural step, Sendelbach is slated to begin his official tenure leading the organization on Sept. 28.
The decision to appoint an inaugural executive leader follows action taken earlier this year, when the common councils of both West Allis and Wauwatosa voted in February to combine their respective fire agencies. The municipalities opted for consolidation in an effort to achieve long-term budgetary efficiencies while proactively preventing reductions in front-line emergency personnel.
Sendelbach expressed strong support for the regionalized public safety model, pointing to the structural advantages of intergovernmental cooperation. In an interview on Sept. 14, he highlighted that the move by local leaders in Wisconsin and the greater Milwaukee metropolitan area to merge resources offers a significant opportunity to optimize municipal operations, improve public emergency response, and potentially incorporate additional area communities in the future.
The incoming chief brings more than four decades of broad professional fire service background to the new role. Throughout his career, Sendelbach has served in diverse leadership and chief officer capacities across several states. Department officials noted in their announcement that his extensive executive history will be essential in establishing a unified command and operational structure for the combined regional department.
In addition to his general leadership background, Sendelbach possesses direct experience managing fire service mergers. He noted that one of his central objectives in taking over Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue is to construct a stable, cooperative environment that enables personnel from both legacy departments to integrate smoothly into a single, cohesive entity.
Sendelbach noted that early interactions with the emergency personnel across both municipalities have already shown positive momentum toward achieving that unity. Based on his initial meetings with staff members from both agencies, he expressed confidence that the integration process is already progressing along a constructive path.
The executive selection comes at the conclusion of a multi-stage regional search process. Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue closed candidate application submissions in July before initiating candidate interviews during August, according to details published on the organization's official website.
Before accepting the top post in southeastern Wisconsin, Sendelbach served from 2021 through 2026 as the chief of the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority in Colorado. His departure from that post earlier this year concluded a notable administrative dispute with the Colorado department’s governing board.
In January, following disagreements concerning departmental fiscal decisions, the Loveland authority board placed Sendelbach on paid administrative leave and subsequently began formal procedures intended to terminate his contract. The board’s actions sparked swift opposition within the agency and the broader emergency services community.
In response to the board’s efforts to remove the chief, the local firefighters union passed a formal vote of no confidence against the governing board. At the same time, Sendelbach received public backing and widespread expressions of solidarity from emergency responders and residents across the surrounding region.
Reflecting on the dispute, Sendelbach stated that the strong backing from local residents and fellow firefighters was vital in helping him navigate the challenging circumstances. He described the outpouring of community support over the subsequent seven months as an extraordinary source of encouragement.
The Colorado governance dispute reached a formal resolution in March, when the Loveland board voted unanimously to approve a joint separation agreement. The negotiated settlement, which the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sought through open records requests, incorporated severance compensation, confidentiality clauses, non-disparagement provisions, and mutual covenants not to pursue legal action.
Sendelbach acknowledged that he had initially been reluctant to sign the separation document. He explained that when faced with the ultimatum of either submitting a voluntary resignation or facing formal termination, he chose not to resign because he believed his fiscal stances were correct, emphasizing that he continues to stand firmly behind the decisions he made.
With his appointment moving toward formal approval in Wauwatosa, Sendelbach will now focus on organizing Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue’s administrative foundation and coordinating the integration of personnel, equipment, and protocols ahead of the scheduled 2027 rollout of unified emergency services.
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