By Rusty Bradshaw
Independent Newsmedia

When Michael Thompson ends his 38-year fire department career this year, the Sun City Fire and Medical Department will already know its new leader.

Mr. Thompson plans to retire at the end of July, ending his three-year stint as Sun City department chief. The man who filled the role as his assistnt since last year, Ron Deadman, will be appointed interim chief to replace him.



The Sun City Fire District Board of Directors approved Mr. Thompson’s recommendation for the action during its March 21 regular business meeting.

“This will mean we have a smooth transition,” said Jack Leonard, fire board member.

Mr. Thompson believes Mr. Deadman is the best fit because he has been intimately involved in the ambulance and new fire station projects. Having someone familiar with those projects, rather than someone new learning on the job, would be beneficial to the department and the smooth completion of the fire station and the district’s first year with the ambulance service.

“A hiring process is expensive and time consuming, and it would be distracting,” Mr. Thompson said. “I think our resources could be better utilized.”

The chief recommended an interim status for Mr. Deadman to help save the department in salary costs during the coming year.

“This way we can preserve his salary as it is,” he said.

One of the ways fire district officials are trying to save on costs with the increased pension premiums is to not replace positions when they become vacant, Mr. Thompson said. That will also help preserve personnel funds to allow district officials to retain the 12 firefighters hired with the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant. The district is in the second year of the two-year funding.

Mr. Deadman’s interim status will be in effect for one year, after which the district board can hire a full-time chief, Mr. Thompson said.

Fire district officials are also working on a second shared staffing agreement with the Daisy Mountain Fire District to utilize their assistant chief for some tasks in Sun City.

“That will free up Chief Deadman for the things he needs to do as interim chief,” Mr. Thompson said.

Earlier this year fire board members approved entering into two other intergovernmental agreements with Daisy Mountain for other shared manpower opportunities and shared purchasing. Those agreements were given the board’s final approval in the March 21 meeting. The IGAs are designed to help both fire districts achieve expense savings.

“We all need to do something because it is becoming more and more clear that we’re not going to get any help any time soon from the Legislature regarding properly funding fire districts,” Mr. Thompson said.

The chief also terminated an agreement with Intermedix, a company that had been handling billing services for the ambulance service, and is working on a shared billing agreement with Daisy Mountain.

“There were some issues with Intermedix,” Mr. Thompson explained. “There are four other fire districts that I know of that are also terminating Intermedix.”