Charles K. Balke currently serves as the  Fire Chief/Paramedic with the Clifton Fire Protection District in Clifton Colorado. He joined Clifton Fire District in 2016. He began his career with the Whetstone Fire District in 1988 and worked his way through the ranks ultimately serving as the Fire Chief. In 2003 he joined the Sierra Vista Fire Department while remaining as a Volunteer Officer with Whetstone Fire. During his career he has served as a BLS Training Program Coordinator for Whetstone, an Affiliate Faculty Instructor for Cochise College and EMS Program Coordinator for Cochise College. Charles serves on several local and regional committees for Education and Training. He is the Chair of the Mesa County Training Officers Group, a member of the Four Corners Training Officers Association and a member of the Regional All-Hazards Incident Management Team. He has an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from Cochise College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Western International University.