The Picture Rocks Fire District is looking for a new chief with the impending departure of Kathy Duff-Stewart.
Duff-Stewart, who has been with the rural district on the west side of the Tucson Mountains since October 1983, is leaving to take a position as fire marshal with the Three Points Fire District.
Three Points is southwest of Tucson.
"I just felt like I couldn't pass this up," said Duff-Stewart, 57. "Kind of how this job here in Picture Rocks, it just happened."
Duff-Stewart began her career with the district as a part-time dispatcher, but within two weeks she was full-time, then quickly moved up the ranks.
She became chief in July 2006 and helped the district push through a $5 million capital improvement bond in 2007 for construction of a new fire station.
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That station, at 7341 N. Sandario Road, opened earlier this month.
There were about 2,300 people living in the 33-square mile district in the early 1980s, with about 10,000 people within Picture Rocks' boundaries now, Duff-Stewart said.
Duff-Stewart announced her intention to leave Picture Rocks last fall, with the plan to retire July 1 when her contract ended.
Since then, she said, she realized she still needed to work a little longer before retiring, and chose to go to Three Points for a new opportunity.
She will stay on with the district until a new chief is hired. Picture Rocks' website recently posted the opening, indicating it's looking for someone with at least 10 years of experience and at least five years' worth of time at the management level, preferably as a battalion chief or higher.
Go to picturerocksfire.org for more information.
Contact reporter Brian J. Pedersen at bjp@azstarnet.com or 573-4224.
