Arizona attorney general sues Tolleson over firefighter exit penalty

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 00:32 · Archive

Arizona's attorney general has sued Tolleson over a $15,000 penalty for new firefighters who leave within three years.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has sued the City of Tolleson, seeking to halt a policy that requires newly hired entry-level firefighters to pay $15,000 if they leave within three years. The agreement, which Mayes calls Firefighter Training Repayment Agreement Provisions (TRAP), is required as a condition of employment.

Mayes argues the penalty bears no relationship to actual training costs. The City of Glendale, which runs the training program Tolleson firefighters complete, charges agencies no more than $4,500 per recruit and provides credits when agencies help with training. Meanwhile, Tolleson pays new firefighters substantially less than many other Valley fire agencies, advertising $21.97 to $30.76 per hour for new lateral firefighters.

The lawsuit cites Sean Krienke, hired as a Tolleson firefighter in September 2023, who left the department on 1 August 2025 to join the Goodyear Fire Department. In 2024, Tolleson's fire chief told firefighters the department would no longer enforce the agreement.

How it is being reported

• Arizona attorney general sues Tolleson over ‘exit penalty’ for new firefightersArizona’s attorney general has sued the City of Tolleson over a policy that she says traps new firefighters in the job.KOLD · 13 Oct, 23:07
• Arizona attorney general sues Tolleson over ‘exit penalty’ for new firefightersArizona’s attorney general has sued the City of Tolleson over a policy that she says traps new firefighters in the job.Azfamily · 13 Oct, 23:07

In this story: Kris Mayes · City of Tolleson · City of Glendale · Sean Krienke · Goodyear Fire Department · Arizona

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