New fire station to be named after Pearce

When the city’s new fire station is built on the Estrella Gin property, it will be named after the man credited with establishing the fire department long before the city was incorporated in 2003.

The goal is to have construction of the new station completed by February 2013, said Brad Patassi, senior public information officer for the Maricopa Fire Department.

Maricopa City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution to name the fire station after Donald N. Pearce, who moved to Maricopa in 1959 when he bought the Napa Auto Parts store and then started the Maricopa Volunteer Fire Department in 1976 with Dwyne Hamilton.

Pearce served as chief for more than 25 years and retired in 2003.

A proclamation was presented to Pearce by Vice Mayor Ed Farrell, who recalled childhood memories when Pearce was active not just as the fire chief, but also as the man who mowed the grass at the Rotary Park and drove to the White Mountains each Christmas to cut down the biggest pine tree he could find to bring back to Maricopa’s one public school.

Farrell joked about how five of Pearce’s daughters babysat him and have seen him in the buff.

“Those five girls have all seen me naked before … they changed my diapers,” he said.