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Clarkdale Fire District
895 First South Street, PO Box 1236, Clarkdale, Arizona 86324 (928) 639-4591 |
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District Formation The Clarkdale Fire Services Committee was appointed by the town manager of Town of Clarkdale in June 2003. The mission of the committee was to evaluate the best alternatives for providing fire and emergency medical services for the town. The committee members were: Tom Groom, Councilmember, Beth Escobar, Town Employee, Fred Hayman, citizen and retired firefighter and Mike Wescott, citizen and retired firefighter. The committee interviewed people of various fire, emergency medical and government agencies. They also accepted citizen input. In September 2003 the committee unanimously recommended to the town manager and the town council that the formation of a fire district was the best option for improving the delivery of fire department emergency services to the community. In January 2004 the Fire District Formation Committee was formed. Members included Dan Gurnsey, Fred Hayman and Mike Westcott. The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors approved the district impact statement on March 14, 2004. Then the committee began the process of gathering the signatures required to form a fire district. The Board of Supervisors advised the committee in March 2005 that they had not secured enough valid signatures. Because there was still strong belief in the need for improved fire and emergency medical services, and that the formation of a district was the best way to accomplish this, the Fire District Formation Committee moved forward. This time the committee consisted of citizens Jim Elmer, Seth Murphy and Fred Hayman. They evaluated what went wrong with the previous attempt and reviewed how to best work through the county system. Together with new information and a renewed sense of purpose, they started the process again. In January 2006 an impact statement was again approved by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors. By the end of September 2006 the committee felt they had collected enough signatures and submitted them to the county. It was determined that enough valid signatures were collected and on October 31, 2006 the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors approved the Order of Establishment. The Clarkdale Fire District was officially formed effective November 30, 2006. To meet the criteria for formation, petitions must be signed by: (1) more than one-half of the qualified electors within the boundaries of the proposed district; (2) more than one-half of the property owners in the proposed district; and (3) more than one-half of the persons owning collectively more than one-half of the assessed valuation of the property in the proposed district. The first district board meeting was held on December 14, 2006. The members of the Fire District Formation Committee became the district boardmembers. By a vote of the board, Jim Elmer was named chairman and Seth Murphy was named board clerk. The first district public election will take place in November 2008. At this time, per state statute, the board will transition from a three-member board to a five-member board and all seats will be through the election process. The improved emergency services provided to Clarkdale residents today is a direct result of the dedicated citizens who participated on the formation committees and other volunteers who persevered through the extensive process of gathering voter approval to form the Clarkdale Fire District. Transition From a Municipal Department to a District Once the Clarkdale Fire District was formed, it was time to make the transition from a municipal fire department to operating as an independent agency. On November 13, 2006 the Town of Clarkdale, with the District’s approval, hired Mr. Don Eberle as the Interim Fire Chief . The Chief was charged with leading the transition and improving the service levels. The Chief advised the board of directors and the town manager that the transition was more complex and time-consuming than originally believed and that the hiring of a full-time fire chief and an administrative assistant/finance manager should be considered. After a competitive hiring process, Don Eberle was hired as the first full-time fire chief. In January 2007 Firefighter Jeff Richey was hired and in February Firefighter/Paramedic, Brandon Nargessi was hired. In June 2007 Joyce Driscoll was hired as the administrative assistant/finance manager. Together the board of directors, administrative staff and all the line personnel, paid, reserve and volunteer, have worked diligently to develop the department into a very proud, efficient and effective organization. Due to the staff’s willingness to share their talents and abilities, they performed the majority of work needed to transform Station #21 into a professional and comfortable work environment. In doing so they saved the District a considerable amount of money in labor costs. One of the key elements of the transition process was the development of our intergovernmental agreements between the District and the Town of Clarkdale. These agreements included:
Through these agreements the tax payers were not burdened by paying for facilities, vehicles and equipment which were already paid for with tax dollars. Prior to the District formation the fire department was responsible for administering the Town fire code, therefore, it made sense for the District to continue to do this. The Town provided funding for the District through an interest-free loan, which was critical for the District. This was necessary since the District became a separate entity before it started to receive tax revenue. Another critical element that developed through the transition process was the town manager allowing the fire chief to continue to be a part of the town’s management team. This is an unprecedented partnership between a municipality and a district, however it clearly makes sense. This is beneficial to both agencies and should be considered a model for other agencies to follow.
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