Opinions

"BE IT RESOLVED that the Sedona Medical Center Foundation Board, out of concerns for the needs of Sedona residents, and the residents and tourists of the Village of Oak Creek, endorses the need for a direct route from the Village of Oak Creek to the Medical Center. The Sedona Medical Center Foundation Board is acutely aware of the importance of primary medical assistance in the shortest possible time when patients suffer cardiac arrest, strokes, or other critical medical needs caused by illness or accident. Minutes lost in transporting victims in need of medical assistance can cause unnecessary loss of life. For these reasons, the Sedona Medical Center Foundation Board endorses the Verde Valley School Road / Red Rock Crossing / Upper Red Rock Loop Alternate Route."

Harry Schoenberg, M.D.
Chairman, Sedona Medical Center Foundation Board

"The Board of Directors of the Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Chamber of Commerce voted its unanimous support of the CRAR, Inc's efforts to provide an alternate route from the Village of Oak Creek to West Sedona. For some time now, the need for an alternate route to protect the public health, welfare, and safety of the community has been apparent."

Evelyn Grgurich
President, Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Chamber of Commerce

"The SFD (Sedona Fire District) supports an alternative route connecting the Village of Oak Creek to West Sedona . . . Our business is to provide rapid, safe fire suppression and emergency medical services to residents and visitors of the Sedona Fire District; an alternative route would help us achieve this."

Scott E. Alvord
Fire Chief, Sedona Fire District

"The Sedona Fire District is charged with the responsibility of providing emergency fire, medical, rescue, and hazardous materials response in a rapid and reliable manner to a large and diverse area. On the average, the fire district personnel and their apparatus respond to more than eleven (11) separate emergency incidents per day, 365 days a year. Many of these emergency incidents require rapid ambulance transport of critical patients to acute care hospitals. Rapid emergency response and the safety of responding fire fighters and members of the driving public are of great concern to the district's elected governing board and fire chief.

To assist the Sedona Fire District in assuring rapid emergency response and improving the safety of responding fire fighters and the driving public, the Sedona Fire District's elected governing board and fire chief are in support of continued traffic flow improvements in the greater Sedona area, including better highway design, alternate routes, and traffic control signaling."

Larry W. Drake
Fire Chief, Sedona Fire District