Province resident helps police, fire departments

Retiree Jim Fuller volunteers for the Maricopa fire and police departments — he logged 100 hours just in the month of November.

“I’m volunteering because at this age now I feel a need to give back a little,” said Fuller, who is 79. “Plus the fact that it helps me feel useful and I enjoy the people that I’m associated with.”

He and his wife Christine began volunteering in 2011. Fuller said Police Sgt. Hal Koozer approached the couple about volunteering during a block-watch meeting in Province.

Fuller started with Citizens on Patrol and watched homes for residents on vacation and winter visitors.

“If a volunteer can do that, maybe we’re freeing up an officer or a paid employee to do something that’s more important,” Fuller said.

As a citizen patrol volunteer, Fuller took a traffic-control class and knows how to direct traffic when the lights are out. Fuller said officers are first to direct, but trained volunteers can take their place if things get hectic or if the officer is needed elsewhere.

In September, Fuller decided to volunteer for MPD’s Community Enhancement Program. Volunteers help officers spot abandoned and unregistered cars and vehicles violating parking ordinances.

He also helps the police department in the mobile command unit, a trailer taken to an incident scene from which police officers and firefighters can operate. The unit always is occupied by a certified driver and a system operator who must stay in town to be available within 30 minutes as needed. Fuller is trained to operate the system and drive the unit.

Fuller was once a coordinator for the unit but recently stepped down to devote more time in coordinating a program for the fire department.

With Maricopa fire, Fuller is the coordinator of the Community Emergency Response Team. CERT is a residents’ volunteer group set up to help first-responders during major disasters. He trained 20 hours to become a CERT member and then went to a three-day training to become a certified instructor. Fuller currently is the only certified instructor and has taught two training sessions in 2013; each session he teaches is 20 hours and includes a drill and final exam.

Deputy Fire Marshal Eddie Rodriguez oversees CERT and said Fuller is doing a great job running the program.

“I don’t have to micromanage Jim; I just give him the task,” Rodriguez said. “I appreciate everything he does for the community and for me.”

Beginning in January, Fuller plans on teaching a supplemental training class for CERT members who already have undergone basic training. He said he will go more into depth of what to do in emergency situations and how to further help first-responders.

“I hope everyone can come away from these classes and our activities with an increased feeling of confidence that they could make a difference,” Fuller said.

Rodriguez and Fuller are planning on training more residents to become CERT members in March.

When training classes aren’t in session, Fuller works from home and does administrative work and prepares for future classes.

He also volunteers with the department for such city events as the Salsa Festival, Stagecoach Days and Great American Barbecue where he’s either in charge of the mobile command unit, running the lost-and-found area or manning block watch and recruitment tables.

“I’m looking forward to having the feeling that maybe I’m a small part of something that is being a benefit to more people,” Fuller said.

He and his wife traveled in their RV for 10 years before settling in Province in 2008 with two other RV couples they met on the road, including the Winns, whom they met wintering in Casa Grande.