Ray Klein was hired by the Avra Valley Fire District as the Assistant Fire Chief in September 2010.

Chief Klein brings twenty-seven years of experience in the fire service to the District.

He retired from the Tucson Fire Department in October 2009 after serving as the Deputy Chief in charge of the Tucson Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

Chief Klein also served as the Emergency Medical Services Training Director for Pima Community College from 1999 to 2008 where he developed and implemented the Paramedic Training Program still being used today.

Chief Klein was the recipient of the City of Tucson Fire Department Services Award in 2004 and the City of Tucson Public Service Excellence Award in 1998.

Chief Klein has an extensive background in managing budgets, developing operating procedures, writing and obtaining grants, managing special projects, and running fire service operations.

Chief Klein currently participates, or has participated in numerous committees and boards including:

• The Arizona Fire Chief Association’s Mutual Aid Committee
• The Arizona Department of Health Services Disaster Preparedness Committee
• The Southern Arizona Emergency Medical Services Board
• The Urban Area Security Initiative Working Group
• The Pima County Emergency Preparedness Group
• The Tucson Metropolitan Medical Response System Steering Committee
• The Advanced Haz-Mat Life Support Scientific Advisory Committee
• and The Southern Arizona Regional Hazardous Materials Response Committee

Chief Klein is a contributing author in several hazardous materials training manuals as well as a publication in a 2002 edition of the Critical Care Medicine magazine.

Chief Klein earned both an AAS Degree in Fire Science (2002) and an AAS Degree in Paramedicine (2001) from Pima Community College.

Chief Klein earned a BS Degree in Public Safety and Emergency Management from the Grand Canyon University in 2011 and an MS Degree in Leadership with an emphasis in disaster preparedness and executive fire service leadership from the Grand Canyon University in 2012.  

Chief Klein has obtained his Executive Fire Officer credentials from FEMA and his Chief Fire Officer credentials from the Center for Public Safety Excellence.