Senior Policy Advisor
Western Fire Chiefs Association
Bend, Oregon, United States
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Chief Kehmna is a nationally recognized fire service leader with more than 35 years of service, including over 15 years at the executive level. Rising through the ranks from Firefighter to Fire Chief, he led his agency through CFAI accreditation, oversaw the County's Office of Emergency Management and 911 Communications Center, and served as Vice Chair of FIRESCOPE, advising Cal OES on statewide fire and rescue policy.
Since retiring, Chief Kehmna serves as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA), one of the most influential fire service organizations in the western United States, representing fire agencies across the region on issues of critical national importance. He works with technology partners in three critical areas: **alert and warning systems**, advancing next-generation platforms to improve the speed and accuracy of life-safety notifications; **evacuation management**, supporting tools that help incident commanders move communities to safety during wildfires; and **wireless communications**, advancing the connectivity and interoperability modern emergency response depends on.
He remains a trusted voice in national fire service policy, bridging operational experience with the innovation needed to protect communities facing complex, climate-driven emergencies.
From Planning to Repopulation: Lessons in Comprehensive Evacuation Management from Maui and Oregon
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST