Wichita Names Chief Mire as Fire Chief Tammy Snow Plans Retirement
Wichita is preparing for a change in leadership at its fire department. Fire Chief Tammy Snow plans to retire in August 2026, and Chief Mire is expected to take command of the Wichita Fire Department on Aug. 24, according to the City of Wichita.
The planned transition will put Mire in line to lead the city’s emergency response agency, which has an annual budget of about $82 million and approximately 497 employees in its Emergency Operations and Support Services divisions.
The city’s announcement identifies the incoming leader as Chief Mire. The published listing does not provide a first name, so the successor is referred to by that title and surname.
Leadership change at a large department
Wichita’s fire department responds from 22 firehouses across the city. Its size gives the leadership change significance beyond a personnel move: the next chief will be responsible for a department with hundreds of employees, a multimillion-dollar budget and a broad network of emergency-response facilities.
The department’s two identified divisions—Emergency Operations and Support Services—together account for approximately 497 employees. The city’s description places those divisions within a department that operates on an annual budget of about $82 million.
Those figures provide the clearest measure of the organization Mire is expected to lead. They also establish the scale of the transition for Wichita residents, even though the city has not announced changes to response operations, department policies or other day-to-day services as part of the succession plan.
Station expansion is also ahead
The leadership change comes before a planned expansion of the city’s firehouse network. Wichita expects a 23rd fire station to open in 2027, following Snow’s scheduled retirement and the expected Aug. 24, 2026, change in command.
The city’s announcement does not identify the future station’s location or provide additional opening details. The available timeline establishes only that the station is expected to open in 2027; it does not describe how the project will be managed or whether it will change coverage in a particular part of Wichita.
The planned station gives the next chief a future department milestone to oversee, but it is separate from the August leadership timetable. The immediate change is Snow’s retirement and Mire’s expected move into the department’s top position.
What happens next
Snow’s retirement is scheduled for August 2026. Mire’s expected start date is Aug. 24, 2026, making that the next known milestone in the transition.
The date is an expected handover, not a completed change in command. The city has announced the succession plan, but Mire has not yet assumed the position based on that timetable.
For Wichita, the transition will involve a department with 22 existing firehouses, roughly 497 employees and an annual budget of about $82 million. The planned 23rd station in 2027 will add another major organizational milestone after the new chief is expected to take command.
Sources
- NewsFlash / City Council Meeting Recap, City of Wichita
- Media Releases & Advisories, City of Wichita
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