The Avra Valley Fire District will have to pay only $12,000 of an original $366,000 in state-imposed fines after reaching settlements with the Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health and five former firefighters.
Both issues stem from the district's handling of an accident on Interstate 10 in March 2007.
The district's Governing Board voted 4-0 Thursday night to approve the settlement, which among other things will require Avra Valley to pay the fine in $500 monthly increments over the next two years.
"I'm just thrilled we were able to work out an equitable settlement where all three sides are happy," board Chairman Joe Cross said. "It allows us to move forward."
The Avra Valley Fire District serves about 10,000 residents on the far West Side, spread out over a 265-square-mile area stretching from near the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to Picacho Peak in Pinal County.
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The $366,000 in fines were levied last October by the Industrial Commission of Arizona, which approved the fines after ADOSH cited Avra Valley for 47 workplace safety violations found during inspections done by the state in March and April 2007.
Those inspections happened after several Avra Valley employees complained to ADOSH about how the district handled the accident on March 14, 2007. The accident, on Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak, involved a hazardous-materials spill and resulted in more than a half-dozen public-safety personnel going to the hospital.
The settlement also calls for Avra Valley to spend $125,000 over the next two years on safety training and equipment for district firefighters, with a heavy emphasis on techniques for dealing with hazardous-material issues.
Also, each of the five firefighters — who in April sued Avra Valley alleging harassment and retaliation as a result of their participation in the ADOSH investigation — will be paid $25,000. Avra Valley's insurance provider at the time of the incident will cover those payments.
"When we started this whole thing, it was never about money," said Brian Lassen, who was fired by Avra Valley in October 2007. "The original concern was that we just wanted our health and our safety to be job one. That's what we cared about."
Shortly after ADOSH hit Avra Valley with the fines, Pima County Treasurer Beth Ford notified the district that it was about to run out of money for the remainder of the 2007-08 fiscal year.
That prompted the Governing Board to lay off more than half of Avra Valley's full-time firefighters and close two of the district's three fire stations in an effort to keep it from going under.
Since bottoming out at 10 full-time staffers, Avra Valley has slowly increased its ranks, enabling the district to reopen its fire station in southern Pinal County in early July. Joe Cross said there are plans to go from 16 to 19 firefighters by the middle of September, with the hope of getting back to more than 20 by the end of the year.
Cross, the board chairman, said he believes the fines were knocked down so much because Avra Valley proved to the state it is committed to improving workplace safety.
"We showed ADOSH that we wanted to turn things around," he said. "We wanted to make sure we had a safe environment for employees, and we showed that."
Officials with ADOSH could not be reached for comment Thursday.
The safety training will go a long way toward improving the district's performance, both internally and in regard to service, Lassen said.
"Our intentions were never to bankrupt the district," he said. "I would much rather see them fix the problems that were wrong with the district than to go bankrupt."
The Story So Far
• March 14, 2007: The Avra Valley Fire District responds to a call involving a hazardous-materials spill on Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak. Reports indicate more than a half-dozen public-safety personnel are injured from exposure to chemicals.
• March-April 2007: After receiving complaints from district employees, the Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health inspects Avra Valley district facilities and equipment for workplace-safety violations.
• October 2007: The Industrial Commission of Arizona approves $366,000 in fines against Avra Valley, the result of 47 violations found by ADOSH.
• Oct. 24, 2007: Station 192, which serves the southern half of the district, is closed after black mold is found there.
• Nov. 9, 2007: District Governing Board Chairman Gary Perry and Fire Chief Barry Gerber resign.
• November 2007: At the request of Avra Valley's Governing Board, representatives from Drexel Heights, Golder Ranch, Northwest and Picture Rocks fire districts conduct an audit of Avra Valley's finances and operations.
• Nov. 20, 2007: Avra Valley's Governing Board votes 5-0 to lay off 11 of its 21 full-time firefighters and close two of its three fire stations.
• March: Avra Valley increases its roster of firefighters from 10 to 16.
• April 8: Five former Avra Valley firefighters sue the district for alleged "adverse and retaliatory conduct" as a result of their involvement in the 2007 ADOSH investigation.
• July: Avra Valley reopens Station 193, in southern Pinal County.
• Aug. 18: St. Mary's Hospital becomes Avra Valley's base hospital after Northwest Medical Center terminates the district's contract.
• Thursday: Avra Valley's Governing Board votes 4-0 to accept a settlement with ADOSH and its former firefighters. The district's fines are reduced from $366,000 to $12,000, payable over the next two years, and Avra Valley will spend $125,000 over the next two years on safety training. Also, each of the former firefighters will be paid $25,000 by Avra Valley's insurance company.
