Maricopa firefighters join IAFF labor union

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Headlining Thursday’s regularly scheduled Maricopa Fire District’s governing board meeting was unanimous board approval regarding the IAFF Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). As a result of this action, Maricopa firefighters received the go-ahead to become part of the International Association of Fire Fighters, an AFL-CIO affiliated labor union representing nearly 300,000 firefighters in the United States and Canada.

Local firefighter Mark Boys, the vice president of local chapter 3752, made the presentation to the board. He termed the agenda item a simple one, but one of great importance. “A decision by the board to sign the MOU,” said Boys, “brings our fire department to a new level. It shows a true commitment to its members when they put their lives on the line and put on that uniform.”

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Firefighter Mark Boys presents the IAFF intent information to the board, including (left to right) Oliver Anderson and JWSalazar.

Bill Martinson, of Century 21’s Metro Alliance, spoke from the audience, expressing his pleasure at seeing such cooperation between the board and firefighters. Martinson, who recently moved to Maricopa, was the president of Firefighter’s Local 1937 in Marion, Iowa, for many years.

Board member Oliver Anderson remarked, “This is an example of leadership coming from the ground up, a grass roots effort. It’s exciting to see things progress as well done as they are.”

Mayor Kelly Anderson, speaking on behalf of the city, offered support for the agreement.

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Board members Sandra Baker-Probasco, John Sampson and Don Pearce (right) sign the MOU agreement while firefighters Richard Jackson (left) and Mark Boys witness the event.

Additional Board Approvals

New Finance Manager, Pat Krueger, was granted signature authority.

Annexation of Arizona Parcel NO. 502-07-001 was approved.

The board agreed to join the Greater Arizona Development Authority (GADA). Created by the Arizona State Legislature, GADA assists local and tribal governments and special districts with the development of public infrastructure in terms of financial and technical assistance.

Arizona State Retirement was approved for non-public safety personnel.

The purchase of a Ford Crown Victoria car to be used by Chief William Kelleher was granted approval. Clerk Sandra Baker-Probasco inquired about safety issues, which have been associated with that model in the past. According to Kelleher, no problems are anticipated.

The Roof Top Fee Schedule was increased from $400 to $600. The fee started out at $600, but it was reduced when Rancho El Dorado first was developed. Board president Don Pearce, remarked, “We know we can use the money. We need it to do what we need to do for the fire department.”

Board members agreed to the purchase of a stand-by generator at the cost of approximately $90,000. The cost, according to Chief of Operations Dan Ashton, is driven by the fact that transfers need to be established for the firefighters’ quarters and the administration office as well as the emergency operations center, whose physical plant is scheduled for completion by the end of December.

Shipping, unloading and rigging the generator could add $10,000 to $15,000 to the purchase price. JW Salazar inquired if sufficient capital funds were available for such a purchase. Krueger assured him that was the case. Kelleher called the generator “a vital part of the overall schematic.”

Staff Reports

Chief of Fire Prevention, Eddie Rodriguez, reported that several new businesses have been inspected and are now open in the Fry’s Marketplace Center. Currently he is working with Fletcher’s Tire and Auto.

Ashton, Chief of Operations, reported that 12 new firefighters and three new captains will be added to the department on Monday. They will pick up their gear and sign papers on that day, returning for a five-day mini-academy on November 28 to get them used to their equipment.

The ladder truck is not completely in service as yet. One firefighter per shift will be assigned to learn the operation of the vehicle before it is utilized for response situations.

Engines are being inspected and hoses tested. According to Ashton, “We want to make sure all firefighters are safe and equipment is safe to operate.”

The temporary station at Tortosa, consisting of a four-bedroom mobile home, a shed and helipad will be fully manned by July 1, 2006.

Outdated equipment and vehicles will be too costly to bring up to working status. One engine may be used by another fire district as a parade vehicle. All out-of-service vehicles will be stripped of lights and any usable equipment.