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Misleading Information from Sedona Fire Department

Sedona Fire Chief, Nazih M. Hazime

Sedona Fire Chief, Nazih M. Hazime

Sedona AZ (November 17, 2010)The following is a letter to the SedonaEye.com editor:

I recently read the article penned by Chief Hazime of the Sedona Fire Department in your 10/28 publication which cited an INDEPENDENT study that has been done by the AFDA ( Arizona Fire District Association) for the last several years. AFDA per Chief Hazime supposedly considered Fire Districts that were comparable in scope of services, size and organizational demographics. Chief Hazime stated that “that this study showed the SFD salaries are slightly below average at the starting and ending wages for each and every position classification evaluated.”

My first question was immediately …….who is  this AFDA ( Arizona Fire District Association ?

My research has show that the SFDA is a legislative lobby group made up of a small number of small fire districts in Arizona and the Board Members are either Chiefs of Fire Districts or Top Administrators of Fire Districts. I found this quite interesting because all of these CHIEF and Administrators are also member of various Fire Fighter Associations that are in essence UNIONS that lobby for higher wages and benefits for its members on a city by city basis. They use the municipal pyramid scheme to raise wages and benefits simply by citing the most recent higher wage basis and benefits that they have achieved and use this to argue that their wages and benefits are below standard.

The Chief refers to this unpublished Study as   “AN INDEPENDENT STUDY”…!     This is no more independent than the man in the moon when his fellow members all seek to increase wages and benefits for their particular district and are members of Fire Fighter Associations that lobby for increased wages and benefits for their membership.

This is one more example of a public figure , Chief Hazime , misleading the public in his bold faced attempt to defend the atrocious wage and benefits that the SFD employees have been receiving.

I think it would be only right that your paper ” call ” the chief on the accuracy of the so-called INDEPENDENCE of the AFDA study he referred to.  It also might be a good idea for the paper to get a copy of this so called INDEPENDENT STUDY and confront the chief on the INDEPENDENCE of the AFDA membership in publishing such a document.

Any organization that would have ANY employee work 4,000 hours has to be so organizationally dysfunctional that the disclosure of this persons hours work is prima facia evidence that Management has lost control of the SFD .

Why do we have to pay overtime to have officers COVER for others on vacation or Ill or are absent due to the fact they are in some other jurisdiction.

Wouldn’t a prudent management team have Reserve Officers to fill in for the firefighter who is on vacation , ill or away…….this could all be at STRAIGHT TIME no different than what school districts do.

I’m dumbfounded by the way Chief Hazime misleads the public in his statements.

Phil Vickers
Sedona, AZ

For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

5 Comments

  1. Glenn says:

    Now Phil what did you expect from any government agency, the truth? I have yet to hear that from any reporting government agency. The real fact is when people have power over others they go crazy and abuse it to the fullest. I have observed it even on town house boards. It seems to be just human nature to suppress others when you have power over them. The trouble is for the most part the same people keep getting re-elected so guess most don’t care or quickly forget.

  2. Andy says:

    Glenn,

    As someone who has been in government for most of my life before retiring, I take offense when you generalize and state “Now Phil what did you expect from any government agency, the truth? I have yet to hear that from any reporting government agency. The real fact is when people have power over others they go crazy and abuse it to the fullest.”

    Just as it would be incorrect on my part to generalize that all business institutions are crooked because there were quite a few who have contributed to our recent catastrophic financial disaster, likewise your general statement paints a very negative brush on those hard working and honest individuals in governmental agencies who strive every day to serve you, me and all of the taxpayers in the best way they can while taking a lot of abuse from individuals who share your feelings.

    Just because you have had some bad experiences with some governmental agencies, it doesn’t necessarily mean that ALL OF THEM deserve to be viewed the same way. I don’t hold any animosity towards all businesses, just because some of them were outright crooked and did me wrong. Shouldn’t you?

  3. Regie G. Roanoke, VA says:

    right on because i feel that gov gets bad rap because of past-obama rules and it’s time that we let government stand on its feet without supporting bad ideas

  4. Andee E. Las Vegas Nev says:

    thank you for saying what i thought

    we need to recognize that each gov decision stands alone

  5. Turquoise Squirrel says:

    Good Call Phil. I’m glad that many of this town’s taxpayers and voters can see through the smoke and mirrors! Did you see this on youtube? http://youtu.be/tEb4KjagiHw

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