Fire Board Information – Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District AZ

Area Fire/Rescue Emergency Communications Improved

Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Sherwood Firefighters Foundation, emergency fire radio communications in the region have been significantly enhanced. Recognizing a deficiency in emergency radio communications, Sherwood Forest Fire District, High Country Fire Rescue, and Ponderosa Fire Departments collaborated with the Foundation to upgrade the local radio system. The project involved acquiring a dedicated radio frequency from the FCC and installing a new dedicated radio repeater on Bill Williams Mountain. The system will have a huge positive impact on inter-agency emergency communications which will enhance effectiveness on fire and EMS scenes, and increase safety for fire personnel. Assisting one another through “Mutual Aid” is common-place and necessary for rural fire departments. This project will provide more cohesive coordination for that mutual aid. The total cost of the project was $26,000.

Chief Moede received the full approval of the SFEFD Board of Directors to lead the effort and acquire funding. Each of the three agencies contributed $2000 from their own budgets, and the Foundation provided a $20,000 grant. The Sherwood Firefighters Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Its purpose is to provide financial assistance to fire agencies in Northern Arizona whose limited budgets often need help for tools, equipment, and resources. Donations to the Sherwood Firefighters Foundation are tax deductible and can be sent to PO Box 911, Williams, AZ 86046.

The previous radio communications inadequacies became glaringly apparent when inter-agency communications were severely compromised during the 2021 San Rafael fire. That fire burned during June and July of 2021 and consumed nearly 80,000 acres. The lightning-caused, wind-driven fire threatened residents and homes in Williams, Garland Prairie, Sherwood Forest, Parks, and other areas. Fire radio communications and operational effectiveness are now significantly improved through this project.

New Fire Chief Sought

Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District

New Fire Chief Sought

Employment Opportunity

The Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District is announcing an employment opportunity for a Fire Chief to lead our volunteer fire district. Interested candidates may find application and further information at Sherwoodforestestatesfiredistrict.com. Applications will be accepted until February 29, 2020. Hiring interviews are set for the period of March 16 to March 27, 2020. Appointment is scheduled for April 1, 2020.

How and where do I turn the application in?

· You may send it via US Mail to –
Pam Weir
SFEFD Fire Board Secretary
877 S Appaloosa Trail
Williams, AZ 86046

· Hand deliver it to any Fire Board member.

When is the last day to submit an application? – February 29, 2020

What’s is the position’s pay and benefits? $2,000 month, take home Fire Chief’s vehicle, cellular phone expenses, disability insurance, FD Credit Card for defined expenses, on-going AFDA professional training.

What is the selection process? – The SFEFD Fire Board reserves the right to screen applications to determine who shall advance to the interview process on the basis of the qualifications, experience, and training as outlined in the submitted application. The Fire Board may waive certain requirements as based on the candidate’s similar but comparable experience and training. The interviews will be conducted by the SFEFD Fire Board and set for the period of March 16 to March 27, 2020. The exact date will be determined by the availability of all applicants and the Fire Board to meet.

Sherwood-Forest-Estates-Fire-District-Fire-Chief-Job-Description Download

SFEFD-Application Download

Interim Fire Chief / Transition of Command

Date: December 11, 2019
To: ALL MEMBERS of the SFEFD
From: Fire Board
Subject: Interim Fire Chief / Transition of Command

The Board of Directors of the Sherwood Forest Fire District has officially accepted the retirement of Wayne Marx as our Fire Chief effective June 30, 2020. A formal Transfer of Command ceremony will be performed at that time.

Additionally a public recognition and celebration of Wayne’s lengthy service period to our department and the community will be held.

To facilitate the command transition the Fire Board shall appoint an Interim Fire Chief in the near future. It is the duty and responsibility of all members of the SFEFD to ensure the Fire District maintains an effective fire, rescue, and EMS capability during this command transition period. The residents of our Fire District and the tax payers deserve no less. Therefore to facilitate a professional transfer of leadership you are directed to work with, assist, and fully cooperate with the Interim Fire Chief throughout this period.

Your individual supportive efforts during this period will not only enable ongoing improvements to our Fire Department but will serve as a public example of your personal professionalism, dedication to the fire service, and commitment to those residents of the communities we serve.

Signed,

Bruce Speirs, Chairman
Susan Hamilton, Secretary / Treasurer

SFEFD-Interim-Fire-Chief-Transition-of-Command-1 Download

SFEFD Tax Correction

Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District
450 Little John Road, Williams, AZ 86046-8579
Phone: (928)635-9837 Fax:(928)635-9618
Email: sherwoodfire@qwestoffice.net

To the Property Owners of the Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District,

We are writing to advise you of an error earlier this spring when the Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District (SFEFD) set the Fire District’s Fiscal Year (FY) funding request to Coconino County for this year’s upcoming property tax billing cycle. This error has affected every property in both the Mountain Rose Ranch Estates and the Sherwood Forest Estates subdivisions to varying degrees. In admittedly vary basic terms your tax contribution to the SFEFD for this fiscal year, which comprises only about 30% of your total property tax bill, was increased by about 18 cents on the dollar.

The SFEFD funding request error increased the tax mill rate from our historical 2.88 to 3.25 which resulted in an approximate overage of $17,000 in total revenues collected. Please note that this most inadvertent error only impacted the annual tax revenue contribution as generated by this specific fire district fund, identified on your tax billing as Jurisdiction 11249 FD SHERWOOD FOREST EST.

To correct this error the Fire Board directed the Fire Chief to freeze $17,000 out of this FY’s budget. Next, to provide the corrective reduction (the ‘pay back’ for the overage you paid), the Fire Department’s budget request for next FY’s will be based at the 2.88 mill rate AND the funding request will be further reduced by $17,000. Finally the $17,000 now frozen will rollover to backfill next FY’s funding reduction/corrective action, thereby leveling out the budget. Once again the funding of our SFEFD’s vital public safety missions will be determined and guided by our self-imposed 2.88 mill rate limitation. This action will return balance to our historical budgeting requests as generally practical and barring unforeseen significant or unusual circumstances.

Please note that the SFEFD remains as one of the very few fire districts historically charging less than the maximum tax rate permitted by law.

Respectfully,

Bruce Speirs, Chairman

Susan Hamilton, Secretary / Treasurer

SFEFD Tax Correction Letter Download