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addressing the issue of always making sure your campfire is out. On Father’s Day of this year we had a campfire that was not completely extinguished and it started a conflagration whose potential had always concerned us. The Schultz Fire started around 11:15 on the morning of June 20th and the ramifications of that fire will be felt by many of us on the east side of the Peaks for many, many years to come. We knew that once we had the fire completely controlled we would have to deal with flooding issues. Little did we initially understand how dramatic an impact the flooding would have on our community. While visitors to Flagstaff come up from the Valley on I-17 and the people of Flagstaff continue their lives without any sight of what the east side of the Peaks looks like, we now look at our beautiful mountain in a different way. The sight of the mountain, while still very beautiful in its grandeur way, seems to be a bit out of place. Its looks as if nothing happened to it when it’s in the shadows of the early evening but the next morning it reminds us again as to how one person or a small group of people can impact so many in a negative way. In the coming years the slopes of the Peaks will take on a new appearance. There will be many new Aspen groves and the display we will see should be magnificent. Those changes are years down the road however and in the meantime many of us have to deal with floods. They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and if that’s the case, we truly have some of the strongest people anywhere. The type of flooding we have is completely different than that you’d find along the Mississippi every four or five years. There are areas of our community that experience flooding now every time we have a ½” inch of rain. While there are new drainages built and flows directed that carry much of the water once it’s partially through the neighborhoods, my heart goes out to those that are impacted every time it rains. We have sent a letter to FEMA describing why they should look at the flooding issues differently than how they currently identify it. As it currently exists, if there is a three day break in the flooding, it has to be identified as a new incident. We need to have FEMA representatives examine how that is not pertinent to the type of flooding we have. Please take the time and write our representatives in Congress to see if they can help us address this. We have put together a letter for anyone who is dealing with their insurance companies. While some insurance companies have had some movement in tying in the fire with the flood and paying for damages, others still don’t recognize the connection. If you need a signed letter from me addressing the fact that none of this flooding would have taken place without the fire, please call us and we will send you a copy or drop by our administrative offices at Station 32 on Koch Field Road and we will provide it to you. We have an election coming up for our fire board and I recommend that you come to know the candidates. In our organizational chart you, the community, is located at the top. It is you who should drive what we do at Summit Fire. It has been my thought that people in our rural area should have the best possible service we can provide for the best possible price. Operating a fire department that responds with Advanced Life Support personnel will never be cheap but we work hard to spend your tax dollars responsibly. One of the benefits of merging I feel is that it has helped us to provide a higher level of service to more people. This year your tax to Summit Fire should have gone down if only slightly. Over the past 18 months we have altered how we do some things. One example is we purchased two used fire engines for a total of $18,000. In comparison, our last new engine we bought two and one half years ago cost us $428,000 to put into service. We think that these particular used engines will provide us some years of service through proper maintenance, and our Emergency Vehicle Technician is talented and can help make this happen. We hope to build a new maintenance facility that will cost us about the same as a new engine but will put off the need to purchase new engines for a longer period of time. If our equipment is dependable, I assure you we have the qualified staff that can provide the service delivery you should expect. I am very proud to be the chief of such a talented group of firefighters. We have also purchased a very dependable 75’ ladder truck for $1050. We couldn’t buy an 85 pickup for that price but we think it will provide a needed service as well as generate income for the department if we are able to provide the fire and ems services for the Navajo Nation’s Twin Arrow Casino. Over the years we have tried very hard to insure our department is community based. There are many of you who have lent a hand in one or more of our many building projects. Many of you have taken advantage of our conference and meeting rooms. We know that in the coming years our department will be tested significantly. While we have planned for the reduction of the assessed valuations due to the lowering of home values, the additional reduction of home values due to the Schultz Fire and Flood will impact us even more. We will have to be creative in how we move forward. We will have to learn how to do more with less and we are prepared to do that. As we have grown and been able to provide a higher level of service, I am proud of what we have accomplished. During the fire and flood of 2010, I attended a lot of meetings and you, our public, showed a tremendous amount of appreciation. The thoughtful appreciation means a lot to me and I know it is meant for all of us at Summit Fire and I am proud to accept it on their behalf. Our department has grown and changed so much over the years to try and provide a higher level of service to a larger number of people. As it turns out, this has been my life’s work and I hope it’s better now than when I found it. I would personally like to thank all of you who have been so thoughtful to me and our department(s). When I look back over the past years, the best part of this has been the people. While these times are difficult for so many different reasons, I hope that all of us can find our glasses to be half full. I have loved our community from the day I arrived here in 1978. My children were born and raised here amongst you. Almost all of us have chosen to live here and love to call it home. My wish is that the overwhelming challenges of the past year will bring us closer together. If you need help don’t be afraid to ask your neighbor, church, county, friends or fire department. We are all in this together and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Here’s wishing all of you the best the Holidays have to offer from all of us at Summit Fire. Don Howard Fire Chief |
Summit Fire District
| Fire Departments don't succeed, people do. |
