A municipal fire department is one department, among many departments, within a city. A fire district is its own self-contained government entity. A fire department has the support of the general government services within the municipality’s structure. A fire district must maintain its own general government services internally. For both fire departments and fire districts to operate, these government general services include: Finance and Budget services, Information Technology and technology infrastructure build, Facilities Replacement, Maintenance and Repairs, Vehicle and Fleet Replacement and Maintenance, Billing Services, Human Resource Department, Purchasing Department, etc. The general government services’ costs are not included in a city fire department’s Operations Budget, but are included in a fire district’s overall budget. These are all costs to the taxpayers.

Within a municipality, most fire departments’ budgets include Fire Operations and personnel. All other support services are budgeted by the municipality and those support departments maintain their individual budgets. The supporting departments’ budgets for the fire department’s needs and the related support costs are not included in the fire department’s annual Operating Budget. Additionally, Capital Outlay (fleet replacement, building replacement, and construction) in a municipality is typically funded by a separate Capital Improvement Project. Capital Improvements are not part of the fire department’s budget but, funded by a city-wide Capital Expenditure Program. A fire district budget does include Capital Improvements.

A fire district has one budget with no external support and the budget includes Revenues and Expenditures.

To compare and contrast fire services, they must be of the same basis: fire department to fire department or fire district to fire district. The following facts must also be considered: encompassed square miles, resident population, number of annual visitors/tourists, Fire and EMS Services (including all special operations), and the environment and geographical location challenges.

The Sedona Fire District is governed by a Board of five elected official members that are charged with the fiduciary responsibility of the taxing district. The Fire Operations and Administrative Services are managed by the Fire Chief and the professional Executive Team. The Sedona Fire District encompasses 168 square miles, 20,000 resident population, and approximately 4,000,000 visitors/tourists annually, and includes EMS Ambulance Service revenue, and a Regional Communication Center revenue.

For further information on your Sedona Fire District, please go to our website at www.sedonafire.org.

Nazih M. Hazime

Fire Chief

Sedona Fire District