Ed was born, raised, and graduated from high
school in Pitman, New Jersey. He graduated in 1965, and had sent
applications to several colleges, one of which was the University of
Arizona. During his senior year in high school, a friend had shown
him some pictures of Tucson and the University. Ed really liked what
he saw, so this young man headed west. He said he loved it here. I
don’t think he spent ALL his time studying, because a certain young
girl caught his eye. She was attending the University also. Ed
graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Education. The day
after his graduation Ed and Carol were married. He and his new wife
headed back east. Ed taught health and physical education at Gateway
High School in Woodbury Heights, New Jersey for sixteen years. He
also coached basketball, football, track, and wrestling. In all he
coached for twenty nine seasons.
The Schaeffer family moved back to Tucson, Carol’s home town,
in 1985. Home remodeling and construction was his occupation for the
next two years. That company evolved into a cabinet making business.
In 1989 Ed, along with his family and cabinet making business, moved
to Sonoita. He joined the Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department (known at
that time as SEESI) that same year. In 1990 God called Ed to the
ministry. He and Carol started the Harvest Christian Church with 12
people; the congregation has grown to 60. The Church Academy, which
teaches grades 2-12 was started in 1999. It started with 5 children
and now has 17. Teaching is definitely Ed’s talent.
For seven years in the Fire Department, Ed was a Captain in
charge of training, and what great training he directed. He tried to
have many training opportunities away from the station so
firefighters would gain experience in different situations. There
were practice burns, both house and grass fires, in this and
surrounding areas including Rio Rico. These burns were done in order
to let firemen experience the REAL thing, putting fires out with
both water and foam. There were scenarios at the Abbey, training
sessions at the school (the only place in Sonoita-Elgin that had a
fire hydrant) and lots of blackboard lessons in the station.
Ed
became Fire Chief in March of 1998. He gave priority to physical
fitness for the firefighters. He had one training session where he
had the firefighters dress out completely with turn outs , boots,
hoods, helmet and masks with SCBA’s turned on. They were to run
around the station once, and the EMTs would take their blood
pressure. The same thing went on several times to see who needed
more physical attention and who could take it! Another of his main
concerns was upgrading the quality of personal equipment of each
firefighter and EMT. Along with those upgrades came upgrading of the
larger trucks. He was also instrumental in getting our first
portable water tank (called the donut). Water can be drafted into
and out of these by trucks and helicopters. Chief Schaeffer helped
Chief Chambers obtain the compressed air foam pumper (821). Written
procedures and policies were a definite priority during this time:
largely for our insurance protection. Tubac had the Certificate of
Need (CON) to provide ambulance service for the south eastern part
of Santa Cruz County, so Ed had an ambulance stationed out of our
building. Because the ambulance personnel ate, slept, and sat their
24 hour shifts in our dispatch room, it interfered with our
dispatch. Other arrangements for them were made to be housed at
Letarte’s Mini-Mart. (S.W. corner of Hwy. 82 and Hwy. 83) where they
are now. Another procedure initiated at this time was “CHECK IN.”
This helped to determine how many people were here and available to
answer a call on a given day. When our dispatcher called for “Check
In,” all those available answered with their call number. This is
done at 7:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. Also that year Chief Schaeffer
initiated an honorary title called “Firefighter of the Year.” Chuck
Bishop won it, and well deserved it was! The Chief retired in
December, 1998 to start the Harvest Christian Church Academy. The
Schaeffers have three children and four grandchildren - the latest
one should be born by now -- SHE is born now!
Ed
was and is a very special man -- giving, kind and a very hard
worker. He built ALL the cabinets in the station which includes the
dispatch room, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the bay, the training
rooms and the offices. When I say ALL, I mean ALL! Many thanks to
you, Ed, for being our Fire Chief. You continued our ongoing efforts
to improve the department.
Update on Chief Everhart’s Accomplishments
As
I’ve continued my research on the Fire Department history I
discovered some of Chief John Everhart’s additional accomplishments.
He became Chief in September 1989. An Open House was held on
September 16th to show off the newly completed Fire Station. The
first public meeting was held in the new Fire Station on September
23, 1989, with 165 people in attendance. In 1989 Firefighters and
EMT’s were covered by Workmen’s Compensation for the first time in
the history of SEESI. The Patagonia Fire Department and Sonoita Fire
Department began discussions on forming a Fire District. In December
of 1989 the Fire Station was named SONOITA-ELGIN FIRE STATION. The
Board of Directors decided to charge $10.00 for use of the Fire
Station for meetings by local organizations. All fire engines
received extensive maintenance and painting. Membership increased
110% in just 2 months. Following an inspection by the Insurance
Service Organization (ISO), SEESI was awarded a Fire Rating of 9
which reduced insurance rates by 12% within a 10 mile radius of the
station.
The June 1990 Annual Meeting covered amendment of the
Articles of Incorporation, and the New By-Laws were adopted.
Formation of a Fire District was discussed, but the assessed
valuation of the area was not sufficient to support a district.
Also, in June the Fire Department came under OSHA's rules and
regulations for health and safety. In January of 1991 an EMT class
began at the Fire Station and was conducted by Pima College. The
Santa Cruz county 911 system was on the horizon which would put
increased requirements on the Fire Department. Dispatcher training
was begun, and future Communications requirements were established.
May 1991, 15 students graduated as EMT’s from the class started in
January 1991. Eight of the graduates were from Sonoita and increased
the Departments capability to 1 paramedic, 2 Intermediate Emergency
Medical Technicians (IEMT’s), and 11 EMT’s.
SEESI Tin Cup Golf Tournament—by Bonnie Chambers
October 22, 2005 dawned as a beautiful day. The sun was
shining, the sky was blue, and as I topped the last knoll before
arriving at the golf club, everything was green, trimmed, and the
rising sun was making shadows among the many trees - beautiful. That
old Kino Springs Ranch* house is just lovely. It has a huge
bay window in front with the entry to the left. In the middle of the
circular drive is a tall, tall, old sycamore tree - again beautiful.
As I got out of the car, I heard the click, clack of golf shoes.
Bras. and Milo had hoped for a good day, and they had it! J. D.
Braswell and Milo Blecha have been in charge of the Tin Cup Golf
Tournament for many years, and they do a fine job. I went into the
house where Brenda Braswell and Jody Walker were registering
entrants and selling Mulligans. Don’t know what a Mulligan is?
Answer - “Mull it over and try again!” There was coffee and donuts
for those who needed a little sugar high to get started. I was there
to get a few more signatures from those who hadn't signed FOR the
Fire District. Soon Sandy Ruppel came, and was assigned a cart to
serve on the course as water girl. Lots of fun was had by all. After
a very good lunch (as usual), awards were passed out:
Longest drive -- won by J. D. Braswell
Closest to the pin -- won by Jonathan Johnson
Longest putt -- won by Craig Bell
Winner of Winners for 1st Place Team -- won by Bill
Oates, Paul Bond, J. D. Braswell & Norm Stitt
2nd Place Team -- won by Steve Holes, Diana Holmes,
Todd Bidegain, and Caren Bidegain
Bras and Milo wish very sincerely to thank all the
contributors and sponsors to this golf tournament. Without your
support for our annual Tin Cup Golf Tournament there wouldn’t be as
many individual prizes, and there wouldn’t be so much fun. Right
guys? - Right!
SIDE NOTE: Milo Blecha was named the most outstanding
veteran at the recent Veterans Day event at the Elgin School. I hope
you read the articles about him in the Bulletin dated Wednesday,
November 9th, 2005. A well deserved honor for a well deserving man.
If you have never been to a Veteran’s Day ceremony at the school,
you really should attend. It is great!
CHECK OUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S WEB SITE
http://www.sonoitaelginvolunteerfire.org
For breaking news, membership and volunteering
information, there is a calendar of events, and more. The web
site is managed by Better Bytes (Terry Plympton and Ed
Schaefer) on a volunteer basis. Thanks Terry and Ed!
Introducing Our Board and Fire District Committee Members
(Part 1)**
Bonnie Chambers: I was born in Raton New Mexico. Went
to school there and in Virginia, California, and graduated from
Tucson High in Arizona. Studied at the University of Arizona. I
worked in a bakery, my Dad’s garage, Bell Telephone Co. in Tucson,
and Hughes Aircraft also in Tucson. My career was in the field of
wife, mother, and grandmother. My hobbies are gardening, sewing,
reading, and refinishing furniture. During the time Wess and I were
involved with the Fire Department; I was a SEESI Lady, a Dispatcher,
an EMT and a Fireman (person?), and I loved every minute of that
time. I have gone many places, seen many things and done some
fantastic things, but Sonoita is the BEST!
I
agreed to serve on the Board of Directors, because I wanted to tell
about the history of the Fire Station. I think all the new, and some
not so new, community members should know where we came from, how we
got here, and where we are headed. PLEASE READ YOUR
NEWSLETTERS.
Pete Daniels: I’m a native of Tucson; I attended
Flowing Wells High School and Pima Community College. After serving
three years in the U.S. Army I joined Tucson Fire Dept and was
certified as an Emergency Medical Technician and firefighter in
1977. I was certified as a Paramedic in 1983, and promoted to
Paramedic Supervisor / Captain in 1989. I served as Adjunct
Instructor for the National Fire Academy from 1990 to 1998. I was
certified for promotion to Battalion Chief, and tested for position
on BC Promotion List, 1996 – 1998. I retired from Tucson Fire
Department in 1998. That same year I joined the Arizona Department
of Health Services, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, were I
served as the Basic Life Support Training Program Manager for the
State of Arizona, and then as Regional Coordinator for southeastern
Arizona until early 2000. I purchased property in and moved to Elgin
in 2000, and am currently the ranch manager for the Little Outfit
Ranch.
I
work part-time as a paramedic on the Tubac Fire District Ambulance
in Sonoita and also volunteer and work part-time as a
paramedic/firefighter for the Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department. I
agreed to serve as a Fire District Committee Member and prospective
Fire District Board member because I have a strong commitment to
community service. I also feel that I can offer a professional
perspective on fire department and emergency medical service issues
based on my education, training, and work experience. The “Cross
Roads” and outlying areas are truly at a crossroad as development
occurs in the area and I hope to be a part of the progressive
evolution to ensure that our community continues to benefit from an
appropriate level of emergency services.
Doug Ruppel : This is a very busy time on the ranch
for Doug, so a close friend of Doug’s helped with his bio. Doug was
born and raised in Denver, and graduated from high school in
Evergreen, Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State University in
Fort Collins with a ranch manager’s degree. After graduation, job-
wise, Doug was found working for ranches in Texas, several in
Northern Arizona and then in Southern Arizona. He and his family now
live at the Babacomari Ranch where he is manager.
The Babacomari is an old Spanish land grant that covers
thousands of acres. He hires day workers as needed, but other than
that, the whole ranch is his responsibility. The Ruppels have lived
here about eight years. Doug and his wife, Sandy, have two children,
a girl and a boy. He is a member of the Natural Resource
Conservation District and the Ann Stradling Foundation.
Linda and Art Donatelli were on a nominating committee to
find people to serve on the Board of SEESI, and they asked Doug if
he would be on the Board of Directors for SEESI. Doug noted that
since he hadn't volunteered for anything, maybe he should do that.
So, he said yes and he did! Doug is a very busy man, but as far as
being a SEESI Board member, he always takes the time.
John Slattum: John Slattum was born in North Dakota in
an agricultural setting. Moving to WA State, he concluded his high
school and undergraduate studies. In 1968 he joined the United
States Marine Corps and served his county as a commissioned officer
for 20 years globally to include combat service. He spent 15 years
of that time in Special Operations activities. Upon retirement, he
founded CMRG INTL, a firm who provided emergency planning and
disaster recovery services to both the pubic and private sectors. He
has provided executive and senior management professional consultant
services in 4 federally declared disasters that involved over $4.2
billion in funding. Over the last 8 years, he has partnered with
global firms and developed businesses opportunities in China, SE
Asia as well as East Africa.
In
2002, he discovered Sonoita/Elgin area on a motorcycle ride and
shortly thereafter purchased land and relocated to this area where
he is currently building a small horse ranch operation. Providing
service to the public has always been a part of philosophy of
returning the opportunities provided to him from this county, he
volunteered to become a SEESI Board Member and to focus on
transitioning SEESI into a Fire District. Having gone through
uncontrolled growth influences in CA, he believes that while one
cannot stop growth, one can put in place the services necessary to
support the growth that is sure to come. Emergency fire and EMT
services are a cornerstone and a major building block in this
proposed fire district area. He is committed to supporting this
effort as a resident and full supporter of this community need.
Beth Sullivan: Beth Sullivan, and husband John, have
been members of the community since 1979. I previously served on the
SEESI board in 1995 as secretary. I have been a practicing CPA since
1987 and have volunteered on other boards as well. In my spare time
I enjoy my horses and competing in cutting horse competitions. I
came back to the board as a volunteer since I am so proud of this
organization. With our growing demands on SEESI, the staff and
dedicated volunteers deserve a committed board that will help them
accomplish the job that they are so well trained to do.
Help Still Needed
We
often hear from community members that the fire department has
plenty of volunteers, just look at the roster. This is very true, on
paper, we do have what appears to be an adequate number of
personnel, and we continue to strive to improve their qualifications
and skills. We provide for continuing education classes at the
department, and encourage personnel to seek other trainings in the
area. We also provide certification classes here like the EMT
recertification class held at the end of this month, and the
Firefighter I/II class scheduled for January. However, we still find
ourselves with limited personnel available to respond to calls
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Consider the following
example. Border Patrol has offered a 40-hour First Responder course
that three of our personnel have enrolled in. Once they complete
this course, they will be able to provide medical support and basic
patient care. We also currently have three personnel enrolled in a
basic Emergency Medical Technician class held in Whetstone. By
January, the medical team will consist of two paramedics, thirteen
EMT’s, and three first responders. However, even though this number
looks very impressive and we are grateful for the support, we also
must realize that we still have limited availability due to
full-time jobs both within and outside of the community, young
children, school, and part-time residents. So, if we were to break
this down, we have nine personnel employed full-time outside the
department, three with young children, two in school full-time, and
two part-time residents.
Looking beyond the medical personnel, some of whom are also
firefighters, we have the same challenges with firefighters and
dispatchers. Even though some of these are Firefighter I/II
certified, state certified wildland firefighters, and even Hazmat
certified, we still face the challenge of adequate personnel
coverage. If you are interested in joining a dynamic volunteer
organization, please call 455-5854, or come to the fire station
(located just north of the crossroads on Hwy. 83) on Tuesday
evenings.
SEESI Ladies Report
No
breakfasts were served at the fire station during the summer months,
but some of the ladies were busy with other fundraisers for SEESI.
We did a breakfast and lunch for the Dressage Group in August. The
rummage sale in October was one of the most profitable we have had.
We deposited $5,800; $600 above our goal. Let’s go for $6,000.00
next time! Thanks for all the donations and help.
We
resumed breakfast on October 8th, but we didn’t have the attendance
we wanted in order to make a good profit. There were just too many
other things going on. If, in January, there is not a good turnout,
we will have to think of some other way to handle our fund raisers.
On October 15th we did a dinner for the Grass Ridge Horse Trails at
the fairgrounds, and made a good profit.
We
are thinking, very positively, of doing lunches or dinners for
homeowners groups. If you have any suggestions for dinners or fund
raisers you would like to see at the fire station, please let us
know. Call Carol Hager (455-5348) with any and all
suggestions.
* The Kino Springs golf club was the
ranch house of Stewart Granger and his wife Jean Simmons. They were
movie stars in the 50’s and 60’s.
* Biographies of Board/Committee members Terri Clark,
Jim Dettmer, Deborah Dover, Jane Lind, and Mickey Parker will be
included in the next newsletter issue.
Winter
2005
