I don’t see this problem in Phx. or any or Arizona’s big cities. If they charged like this in the big cities for the calls they run no one could afford them. Time is on my side and you will see the bill for the fire department go sky high. You are totally wrong on who reduced the budget as the board controls the spending and the fired chief uses the money allot ed. The board also stopped the new fire station which will be another huge spending program.

It wasn’t the previous Board that reduced taxes; it was done before they even took their seats by Chief Hazime and Ms. Daines. Instead of the former recalled and convicted Board members taking the glory for Hazime and Danes’ hard work, they pushed them out the door.

Yes, PRIOR Board members wasted big money BUT, they’ve been out the door for MANY years. What in G-D’s name does what they did have anything to do with what’s being done NOW in 2012? Bring your head back into reality.

As for whatever we spend for overtime, how many fires do we need to have before YOU feel overtime is warranted? As far as I’m concerned, we pay our fire fighters for what they MAY have to do instead of what they do each day.

Mr. Shannon, instead of talking out of our butt why not go to the next big fire and watch our fire fighters at work. Watch them walk INTO the flames, watch them pull hundreds of feet of fire hose in 100° temperatures. I did just that at one of the VOC fires last month. Watching brave people at work is truly humbling.

It’s so easy to sit at your computer, safe and sound, disparaging others while brave individuals perform a real service.

same for d. blauert

read article about the atty gen saying those three are lucky they got off easy, they should move outatown & never ever run for public office. whaddaya not get sedona?

So…what are your interests? Fear of a tax increase on property you only use seasonally – if at all? Your health and well-being not at stake here 100% of the time, so you’re against that of my own? How ’bout “I don’t have children in school so why is the highest percentage of my property tax bill devoted to public education?” Why don’t you jump on THAT bandwagon for a nice, refreshing change of pace?

I also agree with you that we need to rely on FACTS being presented by the Chief and his staff. I also felt that way when the recalled board tried to micromanage the former Chief, as well as his staff.

Glenn, you need to re-read your entry to see if you are NOT slanted. You stated: ” We have a fire station in the village of Oak Creek so how does the one in the Chapel area better serve to I-17. Yes we could build a fire station every 2 miles and could really give excellent service.” Don’t you see that the new station will better serve the ENTIRE community and NOT only the Chapel area.

You said: “Every time spending money freely comes up it is always a scare tactic to convince the public crazy spending is needed.” You seem to forget that the taxpayers have been paying their SFD share of the bill with the understanding that someday an additional fire station was going to be built in the Chapel area. Money has been set aside for years to build such a station and the recalled board members purposely used that money so that such a station would NOT be built.Those taxpayers EXPECT and DESERVE such a station (even though it will be located right next to where Phyllis Erick lives).

Get your FACTS straight and stop drinking the cool-aid!

PER YOUR REQUEST: In my attempt to “..cover all the facts not just the slanted BS…” as you so graciously and eloquently stated, I urge everyone to confirm the veracity of my information at http://www.sedonafire.org. At exactly 62:00 minutes into the Part 2 video of SFD’s June 13, 2012 regular business meeting, Fire Chief Kris Kazian describes – in complete detail – the equipment and personnel responding to the VOC fire to which I referred in my letter above. You will note, units (plural) from STATION #3 (VOC) arrived on scene in exactly 5 minutes and 12 seconds. These unbiased facts directly contradict your erroneous assertions. Therefore, as to slant, Mr. Shannon, take a look in the mirror.

Your not-so-subtle attempt at redirection is completely ineffectual. This is not about Phoenix. This is about industry standard, reasonable and equitable response times. The mil levy rate on my property tax bill is exactly the same as that on a residence in uptown Sedona. Response time should be comparable, as well.

Oh…and for the record: Forest has one “r” – not two. And unless you are using the word in its proper noun form, capitalization is unnecessary. Nevertheless, if – “our fire department went off to fight a Forrest fire…” – the costs of their labor would have been reimbursed by the Forest Service.

If there are any other issues on which you require clarfication, please don’t hesitate to respond.

I guess Ms. Erik and Mr. Blauert just don’t get it now or before, THEY GOOFED BIG TIME because they hired a REAL fire chief as opposed to a hatchet man. If you really cared enough, you would be watching the SFD videos like I do every month, this Chief, like the last Chief and the former Business Director have always provided documented FACTS for an additional fire station. All you have to do is watch and listen to the professionals to understand but I guess that wouldn’t help your agenda, would it?