Joe Demme
Dear Sedona Eye Editor,
At the September 6, 2011, meeting of the Sedona Fire Chief Selection Committee, no agenda item for public forum was provided. Apparently the Chairman does not think the public should have any input into the selection process.
He did, however, selectively and by name, choose particular attendees to speak and/or ask questions. And though supposedly conducting a committee meeting, Mr. Demme took several opportunities to address everyone in attendance. He patiently explained the information being discussed was provided as a result of meetings held by two sub-committees he’d formed.
Was he unaware of the Open Meeting Law violation he just declared? Or do violation upon violation fail to bring any consequence?
Guest speaker, Simon Davis, Fire Chief of Green Valley, AZ, gave a professional presentation about employee selection procedures, then fielded questions from committee members.
Questioning began on the topic of chief/management personnel selection – the sole purpose of this committee – then strayed miles off-point. Committee member Dawson asked about Chief Davis’ community involvement. The (Green Valley AZ) fire chief said he attended all community meetings of the Kiwanis, Lions, Elks, Rotary Clubs, etc. as part of his responsibilities.
Mr. Dawson opined that our former chief (Nazih M. Hazime) was “…if anything, too well known in the community.”
When Chairman Joe Demme asked the Chief’s opinion on his outsourced emergency services, Davis indicated his, and I quote, “politically incorrect” regret that emergency services were not under his care, custody and control. Joe Demme then cautioned those of us in attendance not to “get hysterical” at his question about privatization of emergency services.
Of great and ongoing concern are the prejudicial selection of public input and variance from the agenda pursued by the Chairman.
A rational person would know better and an irrational person has no place on any committee to select our next Fire Chief.
Wendy V. Tanzer
VOC, Sedona AZ
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I continue to be flabbergasted how blatantly this group has run amok.
They are proof how a little power corrupts big time. I had a good opinion of three of the four and voted for two of them but since the minutes and meetings THEY ALL SHOT THAT OPINION TO HELL.
Go to church on Sunday and ask forgiveness for your self righteousness. You lost our respect spreading lies to get elected (it took watching the meetings to see that you spread false rumors before the election).
Reputations matter in this town. Abuse of authority and power is UnAmerican and UnDemocratic and as a conservative Tea party Republican you four have left me with a bad taste in my mouth and I need to spit.
Sorry Joe, I wasn’t in attendance when you asked that outrageous question about privatizing ambulance service (a question that one of your supporters in the recall said the Fire Board had dismissed last year!), but I am very incensed that you would actually put people’s lives in danger.
As you are well aware this is a tourist town. We have visitors who sometimes get stranded on the red rocks, or have heart attacks. We have a population that I believe averages 55 years of age. Imagine if some kind of mass accident (e.g, explosion, flooding, etc.) were to occur where many people required emergency care and we didn’t have our own ambulance service. In addition, not having this service may well prevent some people from visiting, let alone living here.
Read in AZ Republic that fire company equipment never used and believed overkill and oversized by budget crunchers was used when wildfires erupted-and how unused equipment saved a PHX community water flow when the water supply company equipment failed.
What if local water companies can’t deliver? You’ll be begging for that equipment.
What if the sewer plant goes down? You’ll want the equipment around.
We will be defending homes and businesses if wildfires break out, another tourist falls to death from Bell Rock, one of our kids goes missing in the canyons or on the rocks, a rock slide in the canyon traps cars and drivers under debris. What if another plane crashes on approach or takeoff at the airport? What is another sweat lodge incident happens? What if a bus load of tourists flips and falls off the M Bridge?
Remember when the medical flight helicopter crashed near Flag? You want volunteers to handle these situations or highly trained responders?
What’s wrong with you fire district taxpayers and board? The allure of the dark ages of volunteer fire companies seems better than the new and improved professional fire company? Is it Reaganomics? Believe me Ronnie Reagan wouldn’t cut first responders. He’d be showering them with thanks and federal $$. He and James Brady and others lived through an assassination attempt because of highly trained emergency responders, remember?
How about this Joe? Order each volunteer fireman to carry a bucket in his car to each fire. That plan will save even more dollars for the taxpayers.