Fire Executive Staff

Fire Chief Mike Duran III, a Phoenix native, has been a dedicated member of the Phoenix Fire Department since 1994. Appointed as Fire Chief in February 2022, he leads a metropolitan department comprising over 1,900 sworn firefighters and more than 400 civilian personnel, managing a budget exceeding $600 million. The department operates 78 administrative facilities and fire stations, serving a population of over 1.6 million.

Chief Duran's responsibilities encompass fire protection, medical services and transportation, the Community Assistance Program, special operations, emergency management, and community risk reduction and education programs.

Before his promotion to Fire Chief, Chief Duran served on the Executive Staff from 2019, where he was the Assistant Chief overseeing the Medical and Support Services Division. His extensive experience includes planning and coordinating public safety resources for large-scale events in the Phoenix region. He has been deployed as part of the city's All-Hazard Incident Management Team to respond to Hurricane Irene (2011), Hurricane Sandy (2012), and supported the Planning Section for the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial (2013). Additionally, he was a member of FEMA's AZ Task Force-1 and was deployed to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma (2017) and Hurricane Florence (2018).

Chief Duran prioritizes member health and wellness programs, fostering growth and innovation for a sustainable and resilient organization, upholding customer service values, enhancing communication and outreach, and promoting professional development. He is also committed to maintaining strong labor relations within the department.

Chief Duran holds a bachelor's degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from Grand Canyon University. He is married to his wife, Tina, and they have three children and two grandchildren.

Tim Kreis began his career with the Phoenix Fire Department in 2002. Tim has worked in every operational capacity as a Firefighter, Engineer, and Fire Captain before being promoted to Command Officer. Tim has participated in managing various large-scale planned events in the City of Phoenix. His experience includes serving as the Incident Commander for the All Hazards Incident Management Team and administering events in Phoenix associated with Super Bowl LVII. Tim served as the Chairman of the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center Executive Board and the Co-Chair of the Arizona Statewide Mutual Aid Committee.

Tim has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Fire Science programs at Phoenix College and Paradise Valley Community College. He has also served as an instructor and speaker at various national conferences, which include the Fire Department Instructor Conference, Firehouse World Conference, and Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference. Tim has been a member of the International Fire Service Training Association since 2007.

Tim currently holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Administration and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership. Tim was awarded a certificate of completion for the Leadership and Character in Uncertain Times Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Executive Education.

 

Tim is a native Phoenician who has lived in the City of Phoenix all his life. Tim and his wife have two children and currently reside in north Phoenix.

Mark Gonzales began his career with the Phoenix Fire Department in 1996. He is currently assigned to the Executive Staff, where he oversees North Operations, Department Training, and Special Operations.

As a Command Officer, Mark has managed several sections within the Fire Department, including Fleet, Member Services, Resource Management, Training, Health and Wellness, Public Affairs and Community Involvement, Fire Investigations Task Force, and the Homeland Defense Bureau.

Mark has worked in every operational capacity as a Firefighter, Engineer, and Captain before promoting to a Command Officer in 2016. As a Captain, Mark served the members of L493 as a Trustee and Shift Rep and again as the Secretary of the Professional Fire Chiefs Association (PFCOA) after promoting to Batallion Chief. He is an active Peer Support member for the Phoenix Fire Department and Master Instructor for the IAFF Peer Support Program.

Mark Is a native of Phoenix and is a second-generation firefighter with two brothers on the job. Mark and his wife have seven children and reside in North Central Phoenix.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from Grand Canyon University. 

Chief Ray Ochoa is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. He began his career with the Phoenix Fire Department in 2001 and is currently assigned to the Executive Staff as the Assistant Chief of Medical Services and Technical Services. Medical Services also encompasses the Community Assistance Program.

Before becoming a Command Officer, Chief Ochoa spent 17 years of his career as a firefighter, captain, Threat Liaison Officer (TLO), and holding the certifications of a paramedic, hazardous materials technician, and technical rescue technician. Chief Ochoa is also a member of the Phoenix Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue team, Arizona Task Force-1, and was deployed for Hurricane Dorian in 2019.​

As a Command Officer, Ray has worked in Operations as Battalion Chief, moving on to manage the Homeland Defense Bureau. In 2020, he was promoted to Deputy Chief and assigned to the Medical Services Division.

Ray is married to his wife Tamala and has one child.​

A resident of Phoenix for over 40 years, Assistant Chief Jeff Schripsema joined the Phoenix Fire Department in 1991. He is currently assigned to the Executive Staff, where he oversees the Technology and Dispatch and Deployment Divisions which is compromised of the Regional Dispatch Center and Technical Services.
 
As a Command Officer, Jeff has managed several sections within the Fire Department, including Technical Services, Special Operations, and developed the Safety and Prevention Section for the department.
 
Prior to becoming a Command Officer, Jeff worked in several roles within the Operations Division that included: Firefighter, Paramedic, and Captain. Jeff holds certifications as a Hazardous Material Technician and Technical Rescue Technician. As a member of the Phoenix Fire Departments Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team, AZ Task Force 1, he has been deployed 7 times to disasters around the nation, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Jeff is also a part of the City of Phoenix All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT). As a member of this team, he has been involved in the management and coordination of multiple, regional large-scale events that include Superbowl XLIX and LVII. He has been deployed with this team to Northern California in 2008 and 2015 to assist with management of several large-scale wildfires, as well as to New York City for Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
 
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Safety and Emergency Management from Grand Canyon University.​

Justin Alexander’s career with the Phoenix Fire Department began in 1997. He is currently assigned to the Executive Staff as an Assistant Chief.

Before being promoted to Division Chief in 2017 and Deputy Chief in 2019, Justin served as a Firefighter, Engineer, and Fire Captain. Justin has held many certifications throughout his career, including paramedic, hazmat technician, AZPOST certified peace officer, and Threat Liaison Officer. He is qualified as a planning section chief and incident commander for the City of Phoenix Public Safety Incident Management Team. In this role, he helped manage many large-scale events, such as Super Bowl LVII, The NCAA Men’s Final Four, and the COVID-19 response. Additionally, he is a member of FEMA US&R Arizona Task Force 1 with deployments to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Dorian, and the New Mexico Wildfire in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Justin holds an Associate Degree in Emergency Response and Operations, a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management from Northern Arizona University, and a Master of Arts in Homeland Defense and Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School.

A third-generation Phoenician, Justin has been married to his wife, Renae, for 31 years. They have four children and two grandchildren.

Chief Reda Riddle-Bigler is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. She began her career with the Phoenix Fire Department in 2001. She is currently assigned to the Executive Staff as the Assistant Chief of Human Resources, the Health and Wellness Center, Safety and Prevention Division, and Member Services.

Reda has worked in every operational capacity as a Firefighter, Engineer, Captain Paramedic, and Public Information Officer before being promoted to a Command Officer. As a command officer, Reda worked in Operations as a Battalion Chief and was promoted to Deputy Chief where she served as a Shift Commander, the Central District Commander, and the HR Deputy over hiring and recruiting.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis on Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

Reda is married to her husband, Rob, and they have 3 children. 

Jessica joined the Phoenix Fire Department as the Fiscal Management Services Administrator in August 2022. She has dedicated 24 years of her career to public safety with 18 of those at the City of Phoenix. She was born and raised in Southern Idaho where she served as a sworn sheriff’s deputy and relocated to Phoenix in 2001. In Phoenix, she has held positions in the City Manager's Office, assisting two Deputy City Managers, and at the Phoenix Police Department, overseeing a sizable group of both sworn and professional personnel.

Jessica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University and is a Certified Public Manager. Having been both a sworn public safety officer and a professional staff leader, she brings a unique perspective to her role as a team leader and has had the honor of leading diverse teams. Over the course of her career, she has engaged in collaborative efforts with numerous city departments and public safety agencies across the country to tackle various public safety initiatives.

Jessica is married to Sgt. James Rothschild of the Surprise Police Department and has one daughter who attends ASU. Her fondness and appreciation for nature have driven her to hike the Grand Canyon twice and the Kalalau Trail on Kauai. In the cooler seasons, she enjoys discovering hiking paths across Arizona and in other places she visits.

Rebecca Salisbury joined the Fire Department as its Assistant City Attorney beginning Monday, October 31, 2022. She was previously with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Civil Litigation Division for 11 years, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for five years. 

Rebecca also serves in the Air Force Reserves as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate for the United States Space Command in Colorado Springs, CO, and began her legal career as an active duty Air Force JAG. Rebecca earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut and her law degree from Boston College Law School. 

She lives in Litchfield Park, AZ with her husband David and two sons Teddy and Quentin.

Suzanne Wang joined the Phoenix Fire Department as the Assistant Director on January 17, 2023. Suzanne is recognized for her ability to be strategic, building teams and relationships, and delivering innovative practices and special projects through process improvement and organizational change management. ​

As an experienced leader with 18 years working across various industries in healthcare, public safety, and municipal government, Suzanne brings a unique perspective having worked in business operations and technology. Suzanne joined the Phoenix Fire Department six years ago to lead the CAD/RMS project. Shortly after, she promoted to Information Technology Services as the Deputy Chief Information Officer to build the Project Management Office to oversee a $140M budget with 26+ initiatives such as the Citywide Learning Management System, myPHX311 website, and the City Manager's Dashboard. Most recently, Suzanne also supported the CIO to oversee the Business Solutions division of over 85 staff which included enterprise applications, data services, and the project management office.

Suzanne holds a bachelor's degree in psychology/biology and a master's degree in healthcare administration. She maintains active Project Management Professional (PMP), Prosci change management, ITIL, and Agile/Scrum certifications. She and her husband are originally from California and have called the valley home for the past 10 years with their two young children. Suzanne enjoys a good adventure, and you can typically find her hiking, biking, skiing, or exploring with her family. 

Suzanne is excited to return to the Phoenix Fire Department to serve and giving back to our community. She looks forward to learning about all the great work happening at PFD and how she may be able to assist in that cause.