First responders from the Northwest Side got their day in the sun — or rather, under the moon — on a recent Thursday evening when the Foothills Optimist Club held a recognition dinner for them in Marana.
The group on April 9 honored six responders from five departments, with a special recognition for TV anchor Heather Rowe. (See information boxes.)
The event was at Oasis at Wild Horse Ranch, 6801 N. Camino Verde
Marana Mayor Ed Honea introduced each honoree, and District 8 Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was on hand to pass out the awards.
All the Optimist Clubs — there are 10 in Tucson — honor an emergency response person each year, said Heather English, a board member from the Foothills club who helped organize the first responders dinner.
Her boyfriend, Dave Connor of DC Concrete, was the main financial sponsor.
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Historically, the Foothills club has honored one responder from Oro Valley each year, she said.
This year, the Foothills club decided to let the Oro Valley club handle that, and the Foothills club began looking to honor someone from Marana instead. The group is trying to charter a new club in Marana.
The idea of honoring one person grew to honoring several, English said.
She began planning in January and met with fire and police chiefs to let them know what the club was planning.
After her visit, the staff from the stations and departments were left to nominate and vote on who they thought should be honored, she said.
All money raised by the Optimist Clubs supports youth activities in the community.
Because the April 9 dinner was the first time the Foothills club had attempted a recognition dinner of such magnitude, the club hoped to simply break even.
Instead, English said, it raised $2,500 to donate to Picture Rocks Intermediate School.
TOMMY NIX
Avra Valley Fire District
Age: 50.
Current job: Fire chief.
How long with this department: 13 years.
How long in public service: More than 20 years.
Honored for: His strong budget abilities and strength in leadership have guided the department out of a dark period financially and in terms of morale. He has increased staff levels, improved safety in the district and reopened stations.
What he's most proud of: "The fire district is still there."
What he's most looking forward to: "Building the department and building the reputation back up to where it was."
On receiving the award: "Wow. We're just going to keep moving forward."
DAN ROWAN
Marana Police Department
Age: 53.
Current job: Patrol officer.
How long with this department: Three-and-a-half years.
How long in public service: 27 years. Former New York City fireman and policeman.
Honored for: He re-established a peer counseling group within the Marana Police Department and in the past year has responded to 1,256 calls, written 239 traffic citations and 335 warnings and repair orders. The Marana Police Department has received six complimentary letters from the public about Rowan.
What's he most proud of: Was in the World Trade Center both times it was attacked — in 1993 and again in 2001. "I'm proud to get out alive, and maybe I'm a piece of history. We saved a lot of people."
What he's most looking forward to: "I love to get out and pull on doors. I love to go and talk to people. I love doing the (public information) work. I love getting into the criminal's mind."
On receiving the award: "Tometich believed in me," he said, referring to Marana Police Chief Terry Tometich. "It's not just me receiving this award. it's the team of men and women I work with."
TERRY EVANS
Marana Police Department
Age: 53.
Current job: Patrol sergeant, which is a recent move from working on the Drug Enforcement Administration task force for the last four years.
How long with this department: 12 years.
How long in public service: Almost 20 years. Went to Marana from the South Tucson Police Department.
Honored for: Being the lead officer in more than 80 felony investigations and being responsible for recovering more than $2 million in assets. The Marana Police Department retained $150,000 of that in its racketeering fund.
What he's most proud of: When he joined the police department, Marana had recently annexed the area that includes West Ina and North Thornydale roads, and the intersection at North Cortaro and North Silverbell roads was controlled by a four-way stop sign. The department had about 25 officers. Evans said he feels he had a bit of a hand in molding the department from what it was then.
What he's most looking forward to: Getting back to the detective unit one day and retiring in five or six years after putting in a total of 25 or 26 years of service.
On receiving the award: He congratulated his fellow recipients and said, "Thanks for coming out tonight."
BRAD BRADLEY
Northwest Fire/Rescue District
Age: 36.
Current job: Battalion chief of emergency medical services.
How long with this department: 10 years.
How long in public service: 12 years.
Honored for: Working to increase the standard of care in the community, helping to make Northwest Fire a top-notch department, implementing infectious disease control program to protect the people in the field from communicable diseases.
What he's most proud of: Putting together new processes for recognizing heart attacks and increasing the number of cardiac-arrest saves in the field.
"The number of lives we've been able to impact positively has increased dramatically."
What he's most looking forward to: "Diversifying to meet the ever-expanding needs of the community." This includes preventive health, as more people are relying on 911 rather than a primary care physician for their everyday medical needs, he said.
On receiving the award: "This realistically should be going out there to those folks on the front line."
JOHN CLAYTON
Picture Rocks Fire District
Age: 51.
Current job: Engineer/emergency medical technician.
How long with this department: About three-and-a-half years.
How long in public service: About four years.
Honored for: Working hard to become a firefighter at an older age than most people just getting started, and maintaining performance in his job even while nursing his wife through cancer until her death last year. His peers at the station look up to him.
What he's most proud of: Becoming an engineer, which is second in command to the fire captain. Clayton worked for one company for 24 years repairing commercial cooking equipment but got hooked on the notion of public service after doing ride-alongs with his son Jeremy Beatty, who is now a captain and paramedic with Drexel Heights Fire District.
Beatty was Clayton's instructor for a time at the fire academy, which Clayton said "was an ordeal."
What he's most looking forward to: Making captain one day. "Basically, I want to follow in my son's footsteps. I'm so proud of him. I'd follow him wherever, after he put up with me all those years."
On receiving the award: "I'd like to thank all the folks who voted for me, and the hell with the ones that didn't," he said, eliciting laughs from the audience.
Special recognition:
HEATHER ROWE, KOLD-TV 13
Age: 32.
Current job: Lead evening anchor.
How long with this station: Three years.
Honored for: Her creation of the ongoing series "Animal Defenders," which spotlights local animal abuse and provides information on animal care.
What she's most proud of: Her coverage of last year's Avra Valley puppy mill bust — in which hundreds of dogs were seized — earned her an Edward R. Murrow broadcast award. She hosted a 10-hour telethon that raised $50,000 for the rescued dogs' treatment and care.
"To see the community come together was just invigorating."
What she's most looking forward to: Getting more people to adopt and lowering the pet overpopulation in our area. Rowe said she would love to see the county move to having a no-kill shelter, which she admits would take a lot of research and work.
"I think it could be done here."
On receiving the award: "It's really a pleasure and an honor to be standing here with these amazing men. You're saying animals are a priority in Southern Arizona."
Also honored
(not pictured): Chris Conniff, Pima County Sheriff's Department
Conniff was not at the event and wasn't available for an interview, but his colleague Sgt. James Roat accepted the award on his behalf, saying, "We are very proud of Chris and the job that he does. Chris will appreciate this very much."
Conniff has been with the Sheriff's Department about nine years, working mainly in the Avra Valley/Picture Rocks area. He has located numerous stolen vehicles and intercepted drug loads stashed in some of them. He has also been instrumental in arresting several violent felons.
About the Optimists
For more information about Optimist International or how to find an Optimist Club near you, go online to www.optimist.org or call Heather English at 615-9820.
