MEMORANDUM

TO: All Austin Fire Department Personnel

FROM: Rhoda Mae Kerr, Fire Chief

DATE: February 7, 2017

SUBJECT: Retirement July 1, 2018

It is with some sorrow that I am announcing my retirement from the Austin Fire Department
effective July 1, 2018. I have enjoyed working with you for more than nine years and together,
we have accomplished many things including:
 Establishing the Labor/Management Initiative and expanding Wellness Center activities;
 Gaining AFD representation within the regional intelligence community;
 Encouraging countywide Automatic Aid;
 Funding and maintaining four-person staffing on all frontline apparatus;
 Establishing the Wildfire Division and readiness training for all firefighters;
 Managing the department through a Department of Justice investigation of our cadet
hiring process and guiding the City during Consent Decree negotiations;
 Expanding AFD’s outreach efforts in distributing up to 2,500 free smoke
alarms annually;
 Steering the department through an ISO review that changed the City’s rating to a “one”;
 Establishing the Fire Community Advisory Board (F-CAB) to seek feedback
from citizens;
 Supporting the development of the Robotics Emergency Deployment (RED) Team; and
 Guiding risk management and policy development focused on:
o Driving Under the Influence
o Alternate Duty
o Harassment Prevention
o Relationships in the Workplace
o Long-Term Alternate Duty
o Vehicle Collisions and Injury Investigations

I plan to complete several projects during the next four months before embarking on my next
adventure as the new Fire Chief in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Although the decision to leave
Austin did not come easily, many of you know that Fort Lauderdale is where I began my career
in the fire service and it holds a special place in my heart. So when the opportunity arose to
return there and close out my career as the leader of that organization, I just couldn’t say no.
Words cannot begin to describe how much I have enjoyed my time in Austin and in serving as
your Fire Chief. It has been one of the most special periods in my life and I will treasure it
always.

But what I will miss the most is you. The men and women of the Austin Fire Department are
truly the best in the business. That’s not a platitude, it’s the truth. During my tenure as IAFC
President, I visited fire departments across the world and I can say with complete confidence that
you do it better than anyone else. And that goes for both our uniform and civilian staff.

There will be more from me later, but in the meantime, I know you will continue to do the
outstanding job that our citizens have come to expect from the Austin Fire Department.