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Sedona Fire District Lives Depend on It

Sedona AZ –The Sedona Eye received this Letter to the Editor asking Sedona Fire District seniors to consider the many ramifications of SFD Governing Board actions. The writer asked that his name not be used. 

Dear Sedona Fire District taypayers,

One of the main reasons why my wife and I moved to Sedona about 10 years ago was the excellent medical care provided by the local medical facilities, in particular the well trained and efficient firefighter/paramedics. Being in poor health, for us that was, and still is, a very important factor… because our very lives depend on it. 

I have heard rumors that the present majority of the SFD board is considering cutting back on staffing and reverting back to a volunteer fire department…all that to save me $250 a year!!! Are you guys serious? 

Cutting back on fire personnel, means shutting down some stations because of a lack of minimal staffing on the rigs. That translates into a longer response time to “911” calls, specially the ones coming from the VOC and the Chapel area. That means, that some of us seniors are not going to be around to be saved.

Do you fully realize what the majority of this board is trying to do to us? 

In addition, if we were to revert to a volunteer fire department, those volunteers would have to agree to get additional training and be state certified as EMTs to provide us the same level of EMS services. In the past, they were given the option to do that and were not willing to go the extra step.

Do you want someone without the proper training and credentials to try to save your life? Has anyone given any thought to that?  

I urge other seniors within the Sedona Fire District to become more involved by coming to board meetings…and if you can’t, read the minutes and watch the videos to find out what’s being done to your fire department.

In addition, go to http://www.sfdrecall.com/sfdrecall/__Home_Page.html. Once you do that, you will agree that the recall of these members of the SFD board is the only alternative left for us seniors living in this area. 

Don’t forget… your lives depend on it! 

Concerned Senior
Sedona, AZ

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3 Comments

  1. Dick Heguy says:

    Isn’t it a shame that the ugly climate surrounding the Sedona Fire Board has caused so much fear to our Seniors that they are afraid to print their names. I don’t blame them. I moved to the Village of Oak Creek 1.5 years ago from Flagstaff, where we lived for 36 years. I knew how good the Sedona Fire Dept had become because I spent 28 years as a Fireman in Flagstaff. I trained as a medic, promoted to Captain, Battalion Chief, and as Deputy Chief, helped develop the EMS program and trained and assisted the Sedona Fire Dept with their development. This Fire Board is destroying your Fire Department! I didn’t move here to be unprotected as I age, and I’m not afraid of these bullies, who have taken control of the Fire Board. Sign the recall petition, vote to get rid of them. Take back control of our safety net. I served in Vietnam, was wounded, and served my country, not to be silenced by fear and intimidation. Concerned citizen, you’re not alone!

  2. j sherman says:

    Everyone has a stake in this. It is not some theoretical “what-if or Maybe”. All of us seniors depend on 911 and SFD. How many of you have a Life-Alert pendent or similar service? What if you pushed the button and no one came? This is the danger we all face if these 3 people stay in office. Sign the petition or even better pick up a petition and get your friends and neighbors to sign.
    TAKE BACK SEDONA POLITICS!

  3. Wendy Tanzer, Sedona says:

    When publicly asked questions of conflicts of interest go unanswered regarding the company chosen by “the gang of three” members of the Sedona Fire District Governing Board to perform an unnecessary audit at the highest possible bid, shouldn’t the people whose dollars are being so carelessly squandered, get involved? I think so.

    When individual members of the Board take it upon themselves to spend taxpayer dollars in support of their own agendas, provide erroneous information to “experts” then fail to have their unauthorized expenditures ratified by the Board within the legally permissible time period, shouldn’t the Board member in question be required to foot their own bill? Again, I think so.

    Will charges be brought by the Arizona State Attorney General’s office against duplicitous members of the Sedona Fire District Governing Board for misappropriation of public funds? I certainly hope so.

    And will there be lawsuits against the District, for which the responsible Board members are completely indemnified from liability, again making the taxpayer financially responsible? I fear, there will be.

    These borrowed plumes of assumed piety, affecting ill-conceived changes in Sedona Fire District policies, bear absolutely no risk. Their chicanery, bait and switch tactics, and public deception will come to haunt the providers of service, the taxpaying citizens of the Fire District and worse, any victim in need of service – which may not be forthcoming.

    Do not allow this to continue. Sign the petitions to recall Dave Blauert, Charles Christensen and Phyllis Erick immediately. This is YOUR District. Keep it safe!

    Wendy V. Tanzer
    Village of Oak Creek

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