Four Candidates are in the running for Sedona Fire District Governing Board

Liza Vernet
Liza Vernet, 55, library volunteer and mother

History
Vernet is going on her third year as a Sedona resident. She moved to the area from Hot Springs, AK, where she served as a volunteer firefighter and was the secretary, treasurer and grant administrator for the department. "I've always been very involved in community and now that this is my new community I felt that I could help," Vernet said.

SFD's top three strengths
The diversity of services and training are a strength, Vernet said.
"It's not just fire anymore," she said.
The district also deals with rope, swift water and confined space rescue, she said.
• Vernet said the district has also moved from a great volunteer effort into a professional, working group in a short amount of time.
The district is very organized, according to Vernet, and it seems to have a real common vision of what the district to become.
• The level of training is amazing, Vernet said, for the relatively small size of the district.
"They really have a drive for excellence that I have to applaud," she said.

SFD's top three weaknesses
• Vernet said the district is still young as a department and is having to overcome decisiveness in the community. To help this, she said there needs to be more community involvement in issues.
"Community relations could He improved," Vernet said.
• Vernet also feels that the strategic plan is weak in that it is very general.
"I think they need to look more carefully at the entire district in terms of needs," she said.
According to Vernet, the plan should address specific things in specific areas.
• The district also needs to get bigger picture in terms of priorities," she said.

Top three priorities if elected
• Planning would be No. 1 for Vernet.
She said population, subdivisions and the type of growth that is occurring all need to be looked at. Involvement with developers to create defensible space in the beginning of new developments would also be part of this, she said.
• More communication with the community is also important, according to Vernet.
"I work pretty well as a mediator between parties because I want people to agree," Vernet said.
• Vernet would also look at what the district already has and think about making firewise communities.
This could be done by looking at what Prescott has done, Vernet said, and seeing what elements of its plan are applicable to Sedona.
Alternate route
An alternate route is inevitable, Vernet said, but location and safety need to be considered.
"I think we should all agree to take Red Rock Crossing off the table," Vernet said, which-she feels would alleviate tension between groups.
A route in this area, Vernet said, would cause major changes in traffic.
"To just look at it as a bridge across Oak Creek is ridiculous," she said.
Vernet doesn't know where the route should be located.
"I don't think we've looked at it carefully enough to know," she said.

Additional fire stations Vernet said she recognizes the potential need in the Red Rock Loop Road area and at Sedona Shadows but does not support spending a lot of money on land.
Vernet said the district should explore ways of acquiring land for a cheaper price...