Wichita Fire Chief Tammy Snow to retire

Wichita Fire Chief Tammy Snow is retiring by August.

Snow, 67, has been the first female fire chief of the department since 2017. She’s been with the Wichita Fire Department since 1988.

Snow’s decision follows a Wichita Eagle investigation that found the city knew for years that it did not have enough fire stations or firefighters to meet national standards for fire protection and failed to act on that information.

The city of Wichita did not confirm whether Snow’s retirement announcement was related to the investigation.

In a letter sent to firefighters and obtained by The Eagle, Snow said she had originally planned on retiring last year, but delayed her decision until the new city manager took over and could hire a new leader for the department.

Wichita’s longtime City Manager Robert Layton retired late last year.

“I firmly believe this approach best supports strong, stable leadership and positions the department for continued success well into the future,” the letter reads.

The city said in a statement it would soon begin a national search for its next fire chief.

Snow oversaw the department with a $78 million annual budget and over 500 employees, according to the city.

“We are deeply grateful for Chief Snow’s selfless service and dedicated leadership to the City of Wichita and her department. We celebrate the lasting legacy she leaves behind in a well-trained and adaptive fire department that has been continually honored with accolades for bravery, innovation and unwavering dedication to protecting and serving our community,” said City Manager Dennis Marstall in a news release. “We offer her our heartfelt thanks and best wishes on a well-earned retirement.”

Snow’s retirement announcement also comes a little more than a week after one fire station was closed for mold remediation and a study discovered mold at 20 of 22 stations.

The firefighters union, IAFF Local 135, congratulated Snow on her retirement in a Facebook post but also said “The challenges before us are real and pressing. Response times remain a critical concern as call volumes increase, and our city grows. At the same time, many of our fire stations are aging and in need of significant upgrades to ensure firefighters have safe, functional facilities to operate from.”

The Wichita Eagle’s Chance Swaim contributed to this report.

This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Wichita Fire Chief Tammy Snow to retire."