Bert Berkshire, 79, decided to run for a seat on the Sedona Fire District Governing Board because he thinks there is so much more that needs to be accomplished.
Berkshire has served on the board for about 19 months. He was appointed after former Governing Board Chairwoman Caryn Maxwell resigned her seat.
Berkshire moved to the Village of Oak Creek 12 years ago from San Diego after looking at other locations.
He decided to move from San Diego at the urging of a lady he met after his wife died because she did not want to live where he was residing.
They visited three places — Santa Fe, N.M., Sedona and a location in California, and decided the Sedona area was ideal. He married his second wife in 1998 on New Year’s Eve.
After Berkshire graduated from high school and attended college, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served for 20 years before retiring in 1972.
He received numerous medals while in the military, including the Bronze Star, Longevity Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
After serving in the military, Berkshire worked as a financial manager for one of the Air Force’s space program bases, and was later promoted to director of program’s budgets before retiring in 1986.
Berkshire still works in real estate and has been with several different local brokers for close to 10 years.
While not elected to any political office, Berkshire was elected to the board of his homeowners association and was also elected to the Big Park Regional Coordinating Council.
He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and The American Legion and is still involved with the Big Park Regional Coordinating Council.
One reason Berkshire wants to continue being a Governing Board member is to ensure the great service the fire district provides does not change.
Berkshire wants to have a plan in place for the future for the district, since so many things are changing so quickly.
Between 80 and 90 percent of the calls the district responds to are medical calls, Berkshire said. The days of firefighters being responsible for only fighting burning structures are gone.
“Our fire district has become more of a medical facility,” he said.
Since the profession is changing, Berkshire thinks the fire district should work and team up with the Verde Valley Medical Center.
“I want to ensure the public gets the best bang for its buck,” he said.
Berkshire said his career in finance and budgets helped him become a better Governing Board member.
“I did not think I completed what I ought to do,” Berkshire cited as the primary reason he decided to seek a four-year term.
“I bring a lot of experience to the board. Experience counts,’” he said. “It’s a learning process. The learning curve is steep.”
Some of the controversies the SFD Governing Board had to deal with have been a little amusing, since so many people get upset if anyone disagrees with their views, he said.
A good percentage of Sedona residents, he said, are retired and have experience from their working days, which, he said, is not the norm for most communities, but is extremely valuable.
He also said he will always speak his mind and promises not to change.
Berkshire is running as an independent candidate because he does not want to be tied to
any particular group or organization.
“I believe when it comes to a nonpaying job, the only reason you should be running is to serve the district,” he said.
Sedona Fire District Governing Board candidates’ profiles:
Bert Berkshire, published Oct. 1
David Blauert, published Oct. 1
Phyllis Erick, published Oct. 8
Dick Fishel, published Friday, Oct. 15
Douglas Fitzpatrick, published Friday, Oct. 15
