On Friday, Dec. 12, the nonprofit group Support Sedona Firefighters was disappointed to learn that a Sedona Fire District truck would not be parked outside its fundraiser, Snow Village.
According to Barbara Burch, host of the fundraiser, SFD told her it would supply a reserve truck to help promote the weekend fundraiser, but at the last minute, the SFD management team canceled the truck.
The truck was to be a nonessential piece of apparatus and was not to be staffed.
On Friday, Dec. 12, the nonprofit group Support Sedona Firefighters was disappointed to learn that a Sedona Fire District truck would not be parked outside its fundraiser, Snow Village.
According to Barbara Burch, host of the fundraiser, SFD told her it would supply a reserve truck to help promote the weekend fundraiser, but at the last minute, the SFD management team canceled the truck.
The truck was to be a nonessential piece of apparatus and was not to be staffed.
According to SFD Governing Board member Don Harr, the reason the truck was withheld was purely policy.
“Obviously there’s a disagreement on the interpretation of the policy,” SFD Public Information Officer Gary Johnson said, regarding the policy which prohibits the use of SFD equipment for non-SFD purposes.
“As a result, typically the policy would be reevaluated and maybe even rewritten or examples given for further
clarification,” Johnson said.
SFD’s facility usage policy is on the agenda to be discussed at the Governing Board meeting Wednesday, Dec. 17.
SFD has a long history of using its buildings or equipment to support local nonprofits, schools and organizations such as: Boys and Girls Club, Toys for Tots, Catholic Social Services toy drive, Bike Rodeo at local elementary schools, Sedona Chamber of Commerce, Sedona Main Street Program, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Relay for Life, United Blood Services blood drive, and most recently, a request from Camp Soaring Eagle.
After SFD determined it was against policy to supply a truck, Clarkdale Fire District lent one of its trucks for the event.
Money from the Snow Village fundraiser will go to newsletters made and distributed by Support Sedona Firefighters about SFD.
According to Barbara Burch, the advocacy group plans to attend every SFD Governing Board meeting and is dedicated to better informing the public on the happenings at SFD.
“Since the election of our two new board members we are concerned the excellent quality of our service will be compromised,” Burch said. “We’re going to be watching closely.”
