If all goes according to plan, Verde Valley Fire District and Clarkdale Fire District will soon be one entity.
“Right now I’m excited. I think it’s going to work,” VVFD Fire Chief Nazih M. Hazime said March 9, adding that both districts have been discussing sharing services, in some form, since May 2015.
As a result of these discussions, the districts’ boards directed their fire chiefs to meet to study and compare all aspects of the districts.
“The board discussions and staff research have led the boards to believe that a consolidation may be beneficial to the citizens they serve by enhancing efficiency and service while eliminating duplicated costs,” Hazime explained.
“The governing boards of CFD and VVFD unanimously adopted resolutions at their February regular meetings declaring that a consolidation of the two districts should be considered. The resolutions further declare that hearings will be held to obtain public comment.”
The process of evaluation is moving forward quickly, Hazime added. Currently, he is working with CFD to conduct feasibility studies. Determining how many resources can be shared is paramount.
“Saving costs and being more efficient — that’s why we do these things,” Hazime said. “And we’re actually in line with a lot of things. There are so many common areas with each other. It’s something definitely worth looking into.”
Already, Hazime has determined that if the consolidation is approved two fire engines can immediately be surplussed: One from VVFD and one from CFD.
Regardless of the advantages, Hazime said that he and others must be sensitive to community concerns. Most people’s first priority is the cost, but Hazime said there will likely be no immediate increases. A new fire station will eventually be needed in Clarkdale, but there is no timeline for its construction.
According to the fire chief, the consolidation will have no effect on the current mill levy — the tax rate that is applied to the assessed value of a property; one mill amounts to one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value.
“We’re actually right in line with each other. It’s 3.23 in both districts,” Hazime said of the mill levy. “So far, it looks like all costs won’t go up.”
According to Hazime, the other primary concern for locals is the character of their fire districts.
“The public looks at identity,” he said. “They take pride in the ownership of their fire departments. Eventually, if this works we will take Clarkdale under the VVFD name. We would be incorporating them …. But that’s nothing we’re looking at even changing immediately.”
Hazime said the easiest part of consolidating will be incorporating staff and practices into the VVFD structure.
“Here’s the beauty about this area: We all train the same way. I think it’s awesome. Everybody has the same mindset.”
