Rodriguez resigns as fire chief

At last night’s regularly scheduled meeting, the Maricopa Fire District’s Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Fire District Chief Eddie Rodriguez.

Board members as well as fellow firefighters expressed their appreciation to Rodriguez for his years with the district. “Eddie, thanks for 25 years of service, time and effort,” offered Director John Sampson.

Saturday will be Chief Eddie Rodriguez’s last day at this desk.

J.W. Salazar added, “We are very fortunate to have someone of your skills and dedication.”

Rodriguez’s resignation will go into effect on Saturday, April 9. He will laterally transfer to Fire Prevention Officer, an educational and training position. He will have the rank of Captain at his current pay and level of benefits.

Since the hiring of a new chief could take three to four months, the board appointed consultant Bill Kelleher, a more than 20 year veteran of the New York Fire Department, as the interim chief. A time limit for the hiring process will be set. “I’d like to see six months,” explained Kelleher.

Hiring guidelines
The board approved guidelines regarding the fire district’s hiring process as outlined by Kelleher. He also reported on the need for district planning before the new fiscal year. Describing the firefighters’ recent training, Kelleher noted that the training program will eventually be online.

Fire station repairs
Insurance will cover the $3,104 in damages to the pumper truck. Keith Thompson, representing Thompson Construction of Sun City, presented a bid of just over $8,000 for repair work on the front bay area of the fire station. According to Thompson, “This is a pre-engineered steel building with a slump block façade. The integrity of the building has not been compromised.” The directors, in a 3-2 vote, accepted the bid.

This decision followed a lengthy discussion as to whether the station, which is 27 years old, should be repaired or replaced. Both Rodriguez and Kelleher recommended building a new station there, which could be an administrative center.

Board chairman Don Pearce, responded, “It’s not feasible to tear it down. I don’t think we have the finances to build new.”

Added Oliver Anderson, “We also don’t have the luxury of time to go to design and engineering while we tear that one down and build a new one.”

“To spend dollars to repair something that is antiquated and outdated doesn’t seem a wise use of funds,” stated Salazar.

“I say we fix the building back up and get trucks in there,” stated Sampson. Hopefully, according to Pearce, a new station will be built within the next year.

Directors of the Maricopa Fire District (left to right) Sandra Baker-Probasco, John Sampson, Don Pearce, Oliver Anderson and J.W. Salazar. Consultant Bill Kelleher looks on.

Station sites
“We need a station on the south side of the tracks,” explained Pearce. “We’ve been talking about this for over a year.” Rodriguez reported that he had been talking to several developers, but only two or three were willing to negotiate sites.

Building permits could be withheld if there is no fire service in the area. Salazar noted that there was a need for donated land so that the district could use its funds for facilities and manpower.

Two developers who have offered donations are Rancho Mirage and Sorrento. Shea Homes donated a two-acre site in addition to fees while West Pac Development will donate the same amount of money as Shea’s land cost. “This is an example of generosity and community spirit that we are grateful for,” commended Anderson. “We’ll work diligently to make sure equipment is out there when you need it.”

The board voted to move forward with these matters subject to a review by legal counsel Donna Aversa and the city.

Mutual aid calls
A discussion centered on two recent major incidents, a home invasion / fire and a home fire with a fatality. Ak-Chin’s fire department asked for mutual aid on both occasions. A determination was made that mutual aid calls could be made as long as their own district was covered by Maricopa’s firefighters.

Accounting services
James Chaston, CPA, was hired to provide accounting services for the fire district.