Pinal County and the County Board of Supervisors are to be commended for their recognition of our need for support and assistance to Regional Fire & Rescue Dept., to include our District #3 Board Supervisor Stephen Miller and District Administrator Michael Cruz. They have recognized the fact that not ALL of the unincorporated areas of the County pay in support of their fire protection. The fact we receive limited support from the community consisting of approx. 17-20% (by Subscription) from the residents who Subscribe annually in support of their fire protection service.
We would not have made the improvements to our facilities, apparatus, and protective equipment for our personnel without these Grant Resources and the assistance of Pinal County as a pass-thru organization when it comes to the 12% Shared Revenue State Tribal Gaming Grants and the direct community benefit if affords our Subscribers who recognize the need for fire protective services in the unincorporated areas of the County of which we serve.



Prop 202 12% Gaming Revenue Sharing Grants Received;
GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY

Assistance begins with a grant in 2014 for the construction of a fire/rescue vehicle (Shop 0003) the 2000 Ford F-750 Extended Cab Chassis donation from the Southwest Gas Corporation was constructed into a fire truck with a new poly fire body provided by M-Tech, Inc., of northern California in 2015.

Also a Grant in 2016 providing funding for the construction of our new 60’ x 70’ fire apparatus bay building in 2016 (Construction completed 2018) and our 2018 Grant which provided for the building improvements that included interior buildout, plumbing, electrical and site improvements for concrete and asphalt paving. We constructed the new Learning Center and Weight Room and with that construction includes the upper deck storage mezzanine and two storage rooms.



We received a grant from Ak-Chin in FY 2019 that allowed us to sell one older apparatus, donate a 1995 Pumper to the Queen Valley Fire District (in paying it forward) and combined funding included with the assistance from the Ak-Chin Indian Community affording us the opportunity to purchase a New fire apparatus (Engine-587) from Missouri Fire Apparatus. In January 2021 we received possession of a 2010 International 4400 series large capacity Pumper-Tanker with a 1250 GPM Pump and 1,500 Gallon Water Tank with Foam that was placed in service in March 2021 as Engine-587.




A huge thank you to Union Pacific Railroad Foundation for their generous donation of funding to support the purchase of replacement firefighting equipment, hoses, nozzles, protective gear, new ladders for Engine-587 along with a dump valve extender for the rear dump valve used for water shuttle operations, hard suction hoses for drafting water during firefighting operations, and our rolling fire hose rack as a new addition to our fire apparatus bay. Communications equipment included (2) Multi-Band VHF/800 Radios. In support of the wellness of our firefighters we replaced the clothing washer and dryer, and added 240 Electrolyte powder packets as an option to their drinking water when hydrating at a fire or emergency incident scene.



We wish to thank the 100 Club of Arizona for the grant which has provided desperately needed protective equipment to our fire department. This grant totaling $9,000 has replaced the NFPA expired PPE we have been unable to replace previously.
The list includes 7 replacement helmets, 7 replacement leather helmet fronts with medallions, 4 Knucklehead flashlights, 6 Vantage II Helmet Lights, sure grip truck mounts for tools, 2 gripper hose systems for high rise hose packs, 10 Intrant flashlights to issue to personnel, 4 water rescue throw bags, 20 Bolles backdraft goggles for personnel, and 10 pair of Fire Dex EMS Pants.




FIREHOUSE SUBS FOUNDATION has replaced (10) sets of old turnouts with brand new Lion turnouts Coats, Pants and New Fire Dex Leather Boots in 2018 and 2020. This support is vital to our operations in maintaining compliance with NFPA Recommendations where turnout gear should only be used for a maximum of 10 years then discarded. We have a special program where RFRD collects used/surplus PPE for donation of these surplus Firefighter protective items to the firefighters in the Philippines.




Thanks to the Pinal County Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Paul Babeu, and PCSO Grants Coordinator Tom Gaupel, they have arranged for the donation of a surplus fire engine. Regional Fire became the recipient of some "good will" in providing a replacement fire apparatus in September 2011. This Fire Apparatus is a 1995 Pierce Dash fire pumper which came from the Puget Sound Navy Shipyard in Washington State and had barely 50,000 miles on it. This truck was picked up in Washington and driven back to Arizona by Chief Kerber, thanks to some local assistance from his Sister and Brother-in-law from Portland, Oregon. They helped with the logistics in aquiring this truck at the end of September 2011 after the Chief flew to Portland to meet the family members responsible for helping arrange the final aquisition. We completed a cosmetic and minor mechanical refurbishment in Casa Grande and was put into service in January 2012. The vehicle received new tires, paint, roll up doors, LED lighting, new air conditioning, new striping, lettering, chevrons, and a pump certification, totaling $30,000. Update 12/25/2021 – After 9 years of use by RFRD, this fire apparatus was donated to the Queen Valley Fire District and its Chief Cecil Fendley for use in the QVFD response area. After receiving the grant from Ak-Chin to combine the assets of two fire apparatus in building a replacement, we felt it was best to “Pay it Forward” and donate this apparatus to the Queen Valley Fire District in support of their operations. (See completed apparatus picture in the lower right)




Regional Fire & Rescue received a second vehicle donation from the Southwest Gas Corporation on September 17, 2018 thanks to Julie Williams VP of the Southern Arizona Division, along with Dan Wolfe, General Manager. This vehicle was repainted and equipped with public safety equipment, radios, push bar, lights, siren and decals with graphics to convert this vehicle for use as a Incident Command unit for the fire chief or a battalion chief. Car-586 was placed in service in February 2019.

Regional Fire & Rescue has also received a vehicle donation from Southwest Gas Corporation and Mr. Pat Abiles, District Manager. In May 2012 a 2000 Ford F-750 Extended Cab with Utility Body Chassis was donated by Southwest Gas Corporation to serve as a Highway Emergency Response vehicle. After losing a 1994 International Crew Cab Fire/Rescue truck in May 2011, we have quite a great deal of fire equipment and inventory available to convert this gas pipeline and service/construction vehicle and transform it into a public safety emergency response vehicle. This truck will undergo cosmetic refurbishment/construction in fall of 2012. More to come...




A recent donation from the Monsanto Corporation thanks to Plant Manager Adam Parsons of the Delta Pine and Land Company/Monsanto Corporation, operation east of Eloy, Arizona, provided a check in the amount of $20,000.00 in November 2012 toward our new office building project, which was completed in June 2012. In July 2014, thanks to plant manager Mark Neuman, we received another donation in the amount of $4,000 that was used towards the purchase of our solar powered rolling gate.




Perimeter wall completion

We would like to give an extra special thanks to Superlite Block Company of Chandler, Arizona for the donation of Block and Materials for the construction of our new perimeter wall,(Half Blocks, 6x8x16's, Bags of Portland Cement and Mortar Cement). We would also like to give a special thanks to Affordable Gate Company, LLC of Mesa, Arizona for the donation of our man gate on the North side of the property (picture: lower right). We purchased and installed a rolling gate that now secures the rear of our property. We are very pleased with the quality of their work! For now, our new block wall and gate project is completed. We have a solar powered gate opener that uses no electric power from the Station, although the option is available in the future if we want to hook it up. The rear of our property is now secured, thanks to these companies!




After passage of the Stimulus Bill in 2009, Federal funds were made available to the State of Arizona, Governors Office of Economic Recovery (GOER) where a "Public Safety Stabilization Grant" was applied for and awarded to the fire department. This funding was used to help stabilize public service agencies, Police and Fire, in order to assist with decreases in revenues brought on by the economic downturn or "recession" sufferred since 2007. This grant funded the in-frame Detroit Diesel motor rebuild of one of our fire engines, provided new tires on four fire apparatus, and provided for the loan payoff amounts toward three vehicles.



Some grant assistance has come from the State in the form of EMS Supplies and Equipment Grants through Arizona Emergency Medical Systems (AEMS) which manages grant funding for the Central Region for Fire and EMS providers who apply through a competitive process for available funding that originates from the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of EMS (Az. DHS/EMS). These grant funds have provided EMS/Trauma Bags, Backboards, Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and EMS supplies.






Although our primary source of funding for operating expenses comes from individual Subscriptions from home and business owners in our area, since 2006, Regional Fire & Rescue has received assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) through the Firefighter Assistance Grants. Grants earmarked specifically for equipment requests and/or replacements were awarded in FY-2006, 2008, 2009, and 2013, SAFER 2009 & 2011, and a new fire apparatus grant in FY-2013 (awarded July 2014).



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A non-profit, public charitable organization under IRS Chapter 509 (a) (2)