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The fire department at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson has until next month to fully comply with Defense Department certifications, following a federal audit of the facility.

The review by auditors from Ohio's Wright Patterson Air Force Base found several deficiencies in the missile maker's fire department, including a deficit of a dozen Defense Department-certified firefighters and a lack of equipment-cleaning tools. The review also said the department lacks a certified fire chief and needs a new station to replace an aging structure.

The findings are the latest sign of friction between the union that represents Raytheon's hourly employees — including its firefighters — and the defense contractor. The two groups have squared off recently over retiree health benefits: Last month, Raytheon said it planned to appeal a federal judge's decision that would have required the missile maker to retroactively pay medical premiums to a group of early retirees.

In January, 2007, the more than 1,000 members of the International Association of Machinists ended a 10-week strike against Raytheon. Firefighters, who work under a separate contract, took no part in that strike.

The surprise "trip" report, as it is called, was sparked by a congressional inquiry into the plant that makes the Maverick missile, among other products. That inquiry followed a February letter from a former Raytheon firefighter to Tucson's congressional representatives that complained of "vital shortcomings" in the fire department facilities.

That letter spurred the Air Force audit, which requires some changes by next month, including the certification and quantity of on-staff personnel.

"They've had staffing issues for years," said the letter's author, Steven Hulland, in an interview this week.

Raytheon's fire department staffs about two dozen firefighters and provides fire protection for the missile maker and its 12,500 employees. Raytheon is Southern Arizona's largest employer, according to the Star 200 survey of major employers.

Audit findings

The Arizona Daily Star obtained a copy of Hulland's letter earlier this year, and later filed a federal Freedom of Information Act request for the Air Force reports, which the newspaper received this summer.

In the reports, including the most recent one in April, auditors found several problems, including:

● The existing plant protection building is more than 50 years old and has numerous maintenance issues.

● The fire department lacks a certified fire chief that has direct duties and responsibilities over the fire suppression and prevention departments. Instead, the company has a "senior manager" who oversees the assistant fire chiefs, the Air Force said.

● The department didn't have equipment for cleaning the fire crew's firefighting gear.

In a statement, Raytheon spokesman John B. Patterson said the company "has consistently responded when the Air Force issues new directives or requests operational enhancements at Air Force facilities, and is now working with the Air Force to assess the staffing plan for the appropriate number of firefighting professionals."

"The company is also working to assure that all of its firefighters are trained to new (Defense Department) standards, in addition to the state of Arizona and local certifications already held by the Raytheon firefighters," he said. Patterson also said Raytheon has implemented a plan "to improve its response capabilities."

New union contract

Hulland, a former Marine who worked for the fire department for several years, sent his letter 10 days before the fire department's union and Raytheon agreed to a new three-year contract.

The February agreement between Raytheon and the International Association of Machinists, Old Pueblo Lodge No. 933, included a ratification bonus and a general wage increase in each of the three years. It also averted a possible strike.

It was perhaps no surprise, then, that Holland's letter assailed "poor pay, lousy benefits, no retirement and almost no chance of advancement" for new firefighters, in addition to facilities problems.

In a response to Sen. John McCain, one of the initial recipients of Hulland's February letter, the Air Force said it did not address pay issues, benefits and retirement. Instead, it "focused solely on Raytheon's contractual obligations to the Air Force."

That letter stated Raytheon was required to provide a fully qualified fire chief, provide the required full-time staffing for structural fire fighting and provide required training certification for existing staff.

Building 828, as it's called, "does not fully satisfy current standards and does not have sufficient space to accommodate both security and firefighter forces at the staffing levels" required, the Air Force letter to McCain stated.

The missile maker has until next month to become fully compliant with required training certifications, and had to make all other "corrective actions" by June 2008.

Raytheon said last week it is studying plans for constructing a new fire station.