Avra Valley Fire District Chief Tom Nix was put on paid administrative leave Friday as the fire board continued its struggle to find out why 14 of the district's 17 employees have publicly stated they have no confidence in him.
1. Comment by ruben s. (sanchezz)— November 28,2009 @ 12:30AM
Ratings:-7+3
Firemen run towards fire, not away from it Mr. Scott.
2. Comment by Olga R. (arizonaflames)— November 28,2009 @ 12:33AM
Ratings:-2+12
The new Interim Fire Chief has a very muddy history. Check the past Avra Valley. If Chief Lane instigated any of the stuff or is the one who found the so called evidence, I would be very skeptical.
Many of us knew it would be a matter of time before he got to Chief, and it looks like he did it soone than we all thought. Not by hard work, but by sabotage. Be weary!
3. Comment by may d. (md2222)— November 28,2009 @ 12:53AM
Ratings:-4+9
To Olga R,
Avra Valley needs to check his past, there is so much in it, He thinks nobody will ever know about the problems he has had with 2 other departments.Mainly Golder Ranch were he was FIRED from.But most important the REAL reason.He lacks morals.He should know exactly what we are talking about!
Wake up Avra Valley!! He will talk and make you believe that he is your best choice, but be weary!!
4. Comment by Olga R. (arizonaflames)— November 28,2009 @ 12:58AM
Ratings:-2+9
May-
That is funny because I was basing my warning on the fact that he had a lot of rumblings in South Tucson. I had no idea he had been fired from Golder, but when I saw that he had been hired in Avra Valley, I told myself it would be only a matter of time before he weaseled his way into the Chief position.
Judging from this article, it is exactly what he did. Now I am really concerned. Don't the people in Avra do background checks or even check references?
5. Comment by Frank B. (Raider)— November 28,2009 @ 7:36AM
Ratings:-3+2
We all like firemen. They are respected anywhere you go but lately the firemen in Tucson and now Avra Valley seem to relish being in the limelight. Gentlemen keep your dirty laundry in your home.
7. Comment by Bob A. (Brewmeister)— November 28,2009 @ 9:47AM
Ratings:-0+5
Probably would be a smart move to find a qualified outsider to clean up the mess in AVFD. Hiring from within has obvioulsy not worked out real well. Too much backstabbing is what it looks like.
9. Comment by Bob A. (Brewmeister)— November 28,2009 @ 12:26PM
Ratings:-1+4
Fire Chiefs have to have plenty of fireground experience, including EMS certifications. I understand the Shelko comment was a joke, however the job takes a person that knows how fire departments, operations, equipment bidding and specs, personnel issues and all kinds of unseen underlying problems that the regular business manager doesn't need to know. It is something that looks fun and neat to do, but ask any fire chief of a department with more than three employees how much fun it really is. There is alot more to it than JQ Public realizes. And more to it than what the guys who keep tossing AVFD chiefs under the bus seem to have a grasp on.
10. Comment by Elena L. (RockGirl)— November 28,2009 @ 12:45PM
Ratings:-1+4
[This comment has been removed]
11. Comment by may d. (md2222)— November 28,2009 @ 6:50PM
Ratings:-1+4
[This comment has been removed]
12. Comment by may d. (md2222)— November 28,2009 @ 6:59PM
Ratings:-1+3
FYI the last is a FACT NO RUMOR HERE..Just pick up the phone and call Golder Ranch..as long as his wife does not answer the phone you will hear the truth!
13. Comment by Elena L. (RockGirl)— November 28,2009 @ 7:10PM
Ratings:-1+4
So his wife works at Golder too? I guess we can expect her to become Chief now.
Oh my god how pathetic. These people cheat lie and steal to get ahead instead of doing it with good old fashioned hard work and dedication.
So let me get this straight.....this revolt of the firefighters was started probably by the new Interim Chief, who was fired from Golder and he is now the one who is the shining example of a new leader?
14. Comment by may d. (md2222)— November 28,2009 @ 7:25PM
Ratings:-1+2
Elena-
I wouldnt say chief just yet.But assistant chief, since that position will be vacant soon..Avra Valley WAKE UP!! Dont get yourselves in to a deeper hole. What will happen next time you go to board and complaint about chief Lane?
They will probably ignore you since you outed the last one, they will believe that you people are hard to please..
Remember you will have Mr. and Mrs Lane running YOUR departement.
16. Comment by firewife s. (firewife)— November 28,2009 @ 7:34PM
Ratings:-1+2
My husband worked with Mrs. Lane at Northwest Fire (where she got fired from). This couple is bad news. He needs to move on and keep reserving with picture rocks.
Besides didnt he have problems with a female paramedic already?
19. Comment by firewife s. (firewife)— November 28,2009 @ 7:55PM
Ratings:-1+2
if only the would listen. Not only the board but those poor firefighters who are about to make a big mistake, a mistake that will end the careers of many of them. You just wait until the new guy starts firing people. That is something you can count on!
20. Comment by Sue I. (IgnoranceIsNotBliss)— November 28,2009 @ 10:04PM
Ratings:-1+3
While I don't dispute there were problems with Gerber (since the state saw them, too, and fined so heavily), you cannot blame Nix for the ongoing budget problems. The firefighters are being fed a crock of crap by someone.
As anyone who has worked in administration for a fire district can tell you, the firefighters have no idea what constraints are placed on the district budget by state legislation AND in this economy any chief worth his salt should know that next year's budget will be worse with revenue down - Nix is making the same decisions that all fire districts in Arizona are making - if they have decent management - in preparing for the reality of this state's lack of revenue. Why would you want him to hire firefighters only to have to fire them within 6 months? Possibly entangle the district in litigation over the firings? Invest in training only to waste it?
I'm sure the firefighters don't like to work with limited staffing - it is scary and it is dangerous but with what Gerber left them, there is nothing that could be done but to slowly try to recover or to merge with another district...and if they did that, many of those firefighters would be let go anyway due to the same budget concerns.
Research the information given to you and the source of that information before you believe it and jeopardize your own careers...think for yourselves.
21. Comment by may d. (md2222)— November 28,2009 @ 10:33PM
Ratings:-1+1
Ignorance is not a bliss-
Great advice! Sounds like you really have their best interest at heart. We can only hope that they will listen,all fire deaprtments,districts are having serious problems in this trying times.
Shame on those trying to take advantage of a vulnerable group of people.
22. Comment by Olga R. (arizonaflames)— November 29,2009 @ 10:06AM
Ratings:-1+1
[This comment has been removed]
23. Comment by Sue I. (IgnoranceIsNotBliss)— November 29,2009 @ 10:15AM
Ratings:-1+1
Oh, and while education is important in this day...even in the fire service...integrity is much more important and many of the fire district personnel who move from district to district are sorely lacking in that...they are like snake oil salesman and talk a good game but the truth will come out. Unfortunately, it usually happens after they have sucked in some gullible hard-working people.
24. Comment by Last F. (Former AVFD)— December 1,2009 @ 1:36PM
Ratings:-0+3
While I can't say if any of the other "accusations" or whatever they are being called have any merrit, I can say the education is gospel truth. Chief Nix had several conversations with several people saying (many years ago) that it wouldn't pay off for him to get a 4 year degree, as it wouldn't pay for itself by the time he retired. LESS THAN 6 MONTHS LATTER, he comes in the a piece of paper saying he has a BS or a BA. It was not from an accredited university. The bad part: The fire board at the time was too nearsited to see the difference, and said it was ok.
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Avra Valley fire chief put on leave amid confidence crisis
Avra Valley Fire District Chief Tom Nix was put on paid administrative leave Friday as the fire board continued its struggle to find out why 14 of the district's 17 employees have publicly stated they have no confidence in him.Firemen run towards fire, not away from it Mr. Scott.
Report this comment
The new Interim Fire Chief has a very muddy history. Check the past Avra Valley. If Chief Lane instigated any of the stuff or is the one who found the so called evidence, I would be very skeptical.
Many of us knew it would be a matter of time before he got to Chief, and it looks like he did it soone than we all thought. Not by hard work, but by sabotage. Be weary!
Report this comment
To Olga R,
Avra Valley needs to check his past, there is so much in it, He thinks nobody will ever know about the problems he has had with 2 other departments.Mainly Golder Ranch were he was FIRED from.But most important the REAL reason.He lacks morals.He should know exactly what we are talking about!
Wake up Avra Valley!! He will talk and make you believe that he is your best choice, but be weary!!
Report this comment
May-
That is funny because I was basing my warning on the fact that he had a lot of rumblings in South Tucson. I had no idea he had been fired from Golder, but when I saw that he had been hired in Avra Valley, I told myself it would be only a matter of time before he weaseled his way into the Chief position.
Judging from this article, it is exactly what he did. Now I am really concerned. Don't the people in Avra do background checks or even check references?
Report this comment
We all like firemen. They are respected anywhere you go but lately the firemen in Tucson and now Avra Valley seem to relish being in the limelight. Gentlemen keep your dirty laundry in your home.
Report this comment
grass may seem greener on the other side, but then you get what you want and find out the grass was dead on both sides.
Report this comment
Probably would be a smart move to find a qualified outsider to clean up the mess in AVFD. Hiring from within has obvioulsy not worked out real well. Too much backstabbing is what it looks like.
Report this comment
Higher Shelko.
Report this comment
Fire Chiefs have to have plenty of fireground experience, including EMS certifications. I understand the Shelko comment was a joke, however the job takes a person that knows how fire departments, operations, equipment bidding and specs, personnel issues and all kinds of unseen underlying problems that the regular business manager doesn't need to know. It is something that looks fun and neat to do, but ask any fire chief of a department with more than three employees how much fun it really is. There is alot more to it than JQ Public realizes. And more to it than what the guys who keep tossing AVFD chiefs under the bus seem to have a grasp on.
Report this comment
[This comment has been removed]
[This comment has been removed]
FYI the last is a FACT NO RUMOR HERE..Just pick up the phone and call Golder Ranch..as long as his wife does not answer the phone you will hear the truth!
Report this comment
So his wife works at Golder too? I guess we can expect her to become Chief now.
Oh my god how pathetic. These people cheat lie and steal to get ahead instead of doing it with good old fashioned hard work and dedication.
So let me get this straight.....this revolt of the firefighters was started probably by the new Interim Chief, who was fired from Golder and he is now the one who is the shining example of a new leader?
PATHETIC Avra Valley. PATHETIC
Report this comment
Elena-
I wouldnt say chief just yet.But assistant chief, since that position will be vacant soon..Avra Valley WAKE UP!! Dont get yourselves in to a deeper hole. What will happen next time you go to board and complaint about chief Lane?
They will probably ignore you since you outed the last one, they will believe that you people are hard to please..
Remember you will have Mr. and Mrs Lane running YOUR departement.
Report this comment
Mr. and Mrs. Lane ha ha I hope not!
Hey if Avra keeps doing this crap they deserve it.
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My husband worked with Mrs. Lane at Northwest Fire (where she got fired from). This couple is bad news. He needs to move on and keep reserving with picture rocks.
Besides didnt he have problems with a female paramedic already?
Report this comment
Well May, Elena and Firewife. My husband works for South Tucson and I have heard some stories about Mrs. Lane as well.
Bad news all around.
Oh look at us such gossips. You all should send me your email addresses so we can REALLY talk. I got lots of dirt ha ha!
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yeah me too!! I was actually considering a call to the board.
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if only the would listen. Not only the board but those poor firefighters who are about to make a big mistake, a mistake that will end the careers of many of them. You just wait until the new guy starts firing people. That is something you can count on!
Report this comment
While I don't dispute there were problems with Gerber (since the state saw them, too, and fined so heavily), you cannot blame Nix for the ongoing budget problems. The firefighters are being fed a crock of crap by someone.
As anyone who has worked in administration for a fire district can tell you, the firefighters have no idea what constraints are placed on the district budget by state legislation AND in this economy any chief worth his salt should know that next year's budget will be worse with revenue down - Nix is making the same decisions that all fire districts in Arizona are making - if they have decent management - in preparing for the reality of this state's lack of revenue. Why would you want him to hire firefighters only to have to fire them within 6 months? Possibly entangle the district in litigation over the firings? Invest in training only to waste it?
I'm sure the firefighters don't like to work with limited staffing - it is scary and it is dangerous but with what Gerber left them, there is nothing that could be done but to slowly try to recover or to merge with another district...and if they did that, many of those firefighters would be let go anyway due to the same budget concerns.
Research the information given to you and the source of that information before you believe it and jeopardize your own careers...think for yourselves.
Report this comment
Ignorance is not a bliss-
Great advice! Sounds like you really have their best interest at heart. We can only hope that they will listen,all fire deaprtments,districts are having serious problems in this trying times.
Shame on those trying to take advantage of a vulnerable group of people.
Report this comment
[This comment has been removed]
Oh, and while education is important in this day...even in the fire service...integrity is much more important and many of the fire district personnel who move from district to district are sorely lacking in that...they are like snake oil salesman and talk a good game but the truth will come out. Unfortunately, it usually happens after they have sucked in some gullible hard-working people.
Report this comment
While I can't say if any of the other "accusations" or whatever they are being called have any merrit, I can say the education is gospel truth. Chief Nix had several conversations with several people saying (many years ago) that it wouldn't pay off for him to get a 4 year degree, as it wouldn't pay for itself by the time he retired. LESS THAN 6 MONTHS LATTER, he comes in the a piece of paper saying he has a BS or a BA. It was not from an accredited university. The bad part: The fire board at the time was too nearsited to see the difference, and said it was ok.
Report this comment
Which college/university is he claiming he graduated from?? I have the ability to check this information but would need the name of the institution.
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azfiremn145-
He never attended a university..I believe he took some night classes somewhere. (on line perhaps..)
I love how the truth got to him, and had some comments deleted. It was not slanderous IT WAS A FACT..
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