Sac Metro Fire Appoints New Fair Oaks Representative

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District has named Jack Scheidegger to fill the vacancy on its board of directors.

Sheidegger, 65, will represent District 5, which includes Fair Oaks and other northeastern portions of Sacramento County.

Though his appointment to the position came late Monday, Sheidegger seems to understand the large task that awaits him, even as he admits there is still much to learn.

“During these rough fiscal times, I’m just hoping to make their (Sac Metro Fire members) jobs a little easier,” Sheidegger said. “Funds are tight, and they’re only going to get tighter.”

Issues including benefits, salaries, equipment and resources have all come under scrutiny for Sac Metro Fire District’s budget and all will be prioritized equally, Sheidegger said.

“I couldn’t say any are more important than the other,” he said.

Of course, the learning curve Sheidegger faces is a steep one, so having a specific agenda hasn’t even come into the equation yet.

“It’s not a matter of me saying, ‘stop doing and start doing that,’” he said. “I think in fairness to me and fairness to the organization, I need to come in on as fast of a track as I can get and it starts today.”

Sheidegger will spend the immediate future getting to know members of Sac Metro Fire, including working closely with Fire Chief, Kurt P. Henke.

“I think it’s a broad array of personnel, budget items, status of equipment and, to me, is kind of the gamut of what I need to get involved in. And very quickly.”

Sheidegger comes from a long career working for the California Department of Justice where he headed the department’s criminal statistics division. He replaces Tom Lawson, who recently passed away.