With the 2018 general election season in full swing, those vying for seats on the Sedona Fire District’s Governing Board were asked a variety of questions pertaining to issues facing the district — both today and in the future.
Age: 72
Occupation: Self-employed
Years in the district: 20

Q: Why do you feel you’re qualified to serve on the SFD Governing Board?

Greater Sedona area residents know me as a communitywide volunteer, managing events and serving on various nonprofit boards. My prime qualification to serve on the Sedona Fire District Governing Board is my dedication to the critical mission of the fire district — namely, to provide the best possible life-saving service to the residents and visitors of the district.

I have a solid under­standing of business prin­ciples and the need to be aware of the governing board policies and the state open meeting laws. I do not have a personal agenda. I understand the role of the board member as a coop­erative team member with a responsibility to weigh in on decisions, most of which are driven by data provided by the fire chief and staff.

I am strong in my deter­mination to stand up to all threats to the continuity and delivery of the Sedona Fire District’s superior live-saving services. I have a positive and cooperative

attitude and I am committed to be flexible, open-minded, and consistent with a broad vision of the roles of firefighters, EMS personnel, fire chief and support staff.

Q: If elected, what would be your top priority?

As an elected member of the Sedona Fire District Governing Board my top priority is to be engaged in learning the different roles and job duties of the firefighters, emergency medical personnel and support staff so I can be competent in engaging in board discussion and the analysis of issues.

Q: What do you feel is the biggest issue the SFD is currently facing?

I feel the biggest issue facing the Sedona Fire District is maintaining its forward momentum in updating equipment, facilities and station vitality. The SFD will need to be prudent in its use of property taxes and allocate funds with a priority to address the most important needs as soon as practical.

Q: Last year a $17.9 million bond failed to pass but it’s been determined that there are improvement needs to various fire stations. How would you address these deficiencies?

We all live in a very volatile environment for potential disaster, either from devastating forest fires, medical emer­gency response potentially hampered by traffic, blocked highways and the extreme topography of deep canyons, tall mountains, and distance to medical services. These condi­tions demand a fire district that is nimble, well-trained, and one that has the right equipment in the right location to respond.

The management of SFD and the elected board members must be honest with the citizenry about the need to upgrade two facilities. First, the fire station in Uptown needs to be a modern facility designed for 21st century firefighting/EMS equipment and systems. Secondly, the Oak Creek Canyon station should move to Slide Rock State Park as a compre­hensive firefighting faculty designed and funded in conjunc­tion with the Arizona State Parks and the Coconino National Forest.

Funding for these two priorities will be based on a “pay as you go” system using savings [now targeted to $1.5M a year]; leasing of facilities, which is how the Chapel station was built and financed, and a well thought out prudent bond issue when the time is right.

Q: Would you be in favor of a joint venture with state and federal agencies to build a new station at Slide Rock to address the needs of residents and visitors? Explain why or why not.

Let’s be honest. Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, the Village of Oak Creek and other areas within the district are either located within or adjacent to mountainous and rugged National Forest, several state parks, national monuments and two counties. We must continue to work coopera­tively in a joint venture with these other land agencies and jurisdictions to protect people and property district-wide.

A fire station located more centrally in Oak Creek Canyon at Slide Rock State Park would be more than a modern fire/EMS station; it would be an emergency response base and command center for all kinds of fire, flooding, or medical emergencies. This station would financially and operationally involve Arizona State Parks, Coconino National Forest, Coconino County, fire and EMS personnel. All of these stakeholders should work together to insure that the station’s design and operational structure will address all the foreseen and unforeseen emergencies. This makes sense for the district and the surrounding public land agencies.