The Glendale Star
June 10, 2021
The Glendale
tar
Glendale’s Community Weekly Since 1978
The Glendale Star is a circulation weekly published every Thursday.
Publisher Steve T. Strickbine Vice President Michael Hiatt
NEWS
Former Glendale Fire Chief Gray Crabtree was honored May 27 with a plaque that acknowledges his extraordinary accomplishments to modernize the department. Family, friends and dignitaries gathered to honor the former chief and to remember his many accomplishments. The plague adorns the north side of Fire Station 151 in Glendale. (Photo by Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet)
If you’re willing to take charge of people, be willing to take care of people. And I think Gray Crabtree did that better than anybody I know.” – Terry Garrison, Glendale fire chief CHIEF FROM PAGE 1
Associate Group Publisher Laura Meehan, 623-777-1042 lmeehan@star-times.com EDITORIAL HOTLINE 623-847-4604 Executive Editor Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, christina@star-times.com ADVERTISING sales@star-times.com Advertising Representatives Barbara Duran, 623-847-4608 bduran@star-times.com C.E. Williams, 623-847-4601 cwilliams@star-times.com Classifieds and Obituaries 623-535-8439 Legals Elaine Cota, notices@star-times.com Production Manager Courtney Oldham, production@timespublications.com Graphic Designer Tonya Mildenberg, tmildenberg@timespublications.com CIRCULATION 623-535-8439
SEND US YOUR LETTER
We want to hear from you. Letters should be kept to 300 words or less. Letters will be edited for length, grammar, style and accuracy. Each letter must include your name, address and phone number for verification. Letters should address issues and avoid personal attacks. Complaints about individuals or businesses will not be published. The Glendale Star reserves the right to withhold letters determined to be objectionable or inappropriate.
Email ..................................... christina@star-times.com Online .................................................... glendalestar.com Fax ................................................................623-935-2103 Mail ................................250 N. Litchfield Rd., Suite 100, Goodyear, AZ 85338
Published by Times Media Group 250 N. Litchfield Rd., Suite 100, Goodyear, AZ 85338 623-847-4600 • FAX 623-935-2103 (USPS 998-340) Published weekly by Times Media Group, 250 N. Litchfield Rd., Suite 100, Goodyear, AZ 85338. Periodical postage paid at Glendale, AZ 85301. (c) 2021 Strickbine Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. The Glendale Star is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com.
kept firefighters safe.” Gray quickly climbed the ranks after he began his career with the department in 1961. He became fire chief in 1973, was appointed as the public safety administrator for the city of Glendale in 1932 and was reappointed as fire chief in 1986. After committing years of service to the Glendale Fire Department, he retired in 1989. “He believed in customer service delivery, he believed in the fire department doing whatever they had to do to get in there and save lives, and he was very innovative. So were all these people here,” Glenn said, fighting back tears as he spoke about his late father. When Gray became chief, the fire department looked very different. Glendale’s population is more than 200,000. When Gray became fire chief, the population was 22,000 and his team had eight firefighters, 16 reserves and two captains covering 9 square miles. One of Gray’s accomplishments as chief was sponsoring a bill to have the first Arizona State Paramedic Program in the early 1970s. Glendale, Phoenix and Tucson were the first fire departments to complete the program and have paramedics deliver service to their citizens. Glendale eventually became the first department to have two paramedics on every engine, which provided advanced life support and saved countless lives. It is now standard practice across the Valley to have two paramedics on all fire trucks. During his time as chief, Gray created the first hazardous materials team, banned smoking in fire stations and fostered the fire smoke alarm walk within the community. His work bettered the Glendale Fire Department and other departments throughout the state. His contributions helped save many lives. “My dad loved this city,” Glenn said.
3
“He absolutely loved the city of Glendale. He loved the citizens. He believed in service and innovation. Innovation doesn’t happen without the support of everyone involved, and the impacts are seen on a daily basis. The number of lives saved and the amount of property saved can’t be calculated, can’t be writ-
ten down, but it happens every day. I witness it every day from Mesa all the way here to Glendale.” To end the ceremony, Capt. Ashley Losch, Glendale Fire Department’s public information officer, thanked the crowd for coming to honor Gray and encouraged everyone to continue his legacy. “This is an important day for us to pay homage to Chief Crabtree. He really was an innovator in our department. In fact, I think he is probably the most innovative chief that we’ve ever had. He did some amazing things, not just for the Glendale Fire Department but for the Valley,” Losch said. “So let’s keep innovating. Let’s keep moving forward in the spirit of Chief Crabtree.”
Get ready for the largest Independence Day fireworks show in the Valley!
Featuring Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers
July 4 at the Peoria Sports Complex For more info, visit peoriaaz.gov/events
