Verde Valley Fire District held its third annual “Glad You Are Here” banquet on April 11 at the Cottonwood Fairgrounds and presented its staff-nominated Verde Values and Tyrone Bell Service Awards to its employees.
“It’s a night that we can get together, not only with our firefighters but with their families, and celebrate with each other and laugh,” Chief Danny Johnson said. “There are very few times out of the we are able to get most of VVFD together just to support each other, have a good time, laugh, so it’s amazing when we can celebrate some of the accomplishments we had over the year.”
Tyrone Bell Service Award
Capt. Seth Murphy was awarded the Tyrone Bell Service Award, which named the VVFD firefighters who died Oct. 18, 2021, from complications of COVID-19.
“This award is not a Firefighter of the Year recognition, it’s about service as a way of life. It reflects a commitment to serving your family, your community, and your department,” VVFD posted to social media. “Service isn’t about timing; it’s a choice. A servant’s heart is shown in the quiet, consistent, and selfless ways a person gives of themselves, not for credit or recognition, but simply because of who they are. We are incredibly proud of Captain Seth Murphy for receiving this award and for the lasting impact he continues to have on our district and the community we serve.”
Part of what makes this award special for Johnson, he said, is that he has been presenting it with Ashli Bell, Tyrone Bell’s widow and mother to the couple’s son, Tyson.
“The unique thing was that Captain Murphy not only served with Tyrone in the fire department, but they were childhood friends,” Johnson said. “They grew up in Clarkdale, going to Clarkdale[-Jerome] elementary together. Being able to award that to Captain Murphy for the service he’s provided the organization, the community, and his family was a very moving moment. It was awesome for us to be able to provide him that recognition.”
Verde Values
“All of those awards are based on our Verde Values, with each exemplifying a different one of our values,” Johnson said. “The values are the lens with which we look at organizational decisions, how we act and how we treat the public. Every one of those members who received those values awards emulated one of those characteristics throughout the year consistently.”
Firefighter Scott Mattix was honored for virtuousness, Johnson described him as someone of pure motives who arrives every shift with a smile.
“Mattix approaches each day with a smile on his face,” Johnson said. “He’s a pleasure to have around the station. He makes the station environment much brighter because he brings joy to the organization. Not a selfish bone in his body. He’s just there to serve his community and the organization.”
Capt. Jerry Sinica took home the empowerment award. Johnson said empowerment, to him, means giving firefighters the freedom to act on what’s right without waiting to be dispatched.
“Jerry personifies that on a daily basis,” Johnson said. “He’s there not only to help our community, but he’s empowered to make a difference in mentoring firefighters around the station. What you get with Capt. Jerry Sinica is and I joked at the banquet that his energy is inspiring and creates momentum. But it can sometimes be tiring, because he has so much energy and passion to do this job well and make a difference. That’s how he approaches each day.”
Capt. Jonathan Pizzi was recognized for resilience not for being unaffected by the job, Johnson said, but for his ability to bounce back and help others do the same.
“One of the things that Jonathan does is he heads up a lot of our mental health and total wellness initiatives around the organization,” Johnson said. “Not only does he invest in that in his own life, but he also puts programs together and puts weekly wellness letters together to encourage our members for mental and total health on a daily basis. He lives it, but he also works to give others the tools to be resilient as well.”
Engineer Bryan Heisinger earned the dedication award for his years of quiet, behind-the-scenes work managing the VVFD’s mapping, GIS and hydrant programs.
“Conducting annual hydrant inspections, coordinating data reporting to water companies and keeping maps current as roads and infrastructure change,” Johnson said. “It’s not a glamorous position, but he treats it like it’s the most important thing.”
Firefighter Robbie Weigele received the Excellence Award for raising the overall standard of training and service since joining VVFD from Gilbert.
“He’s brought a ton of experience into our organization,” Johnson said. “He’s really taken the level of service and training up a notch and invested in our new people.”
“We are hoping in the future, as we continue to grow as an organization together, this will be something that we do jointly,” with Copper Canyon Fire and Medical District, Johnson said. Johnson became CCFMD’s fire chief in September 2023. VVFD and CFMD are currently slated to merge by July 2027. Both boards approved the merger March 31.
