Arizona's response to wildfires is getting a much-needed boost, as the state breaks ground on a new dispatch center aimed at enhancing support for wildland firefighters and improving statewide safety. According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM), the new Arizona Dispatch Center (ADC) will feature advanced technology to aid in the tracking, monitoring, and dispatching of resources to fight the increasingly long wildfire seasons.
The facility, stretching 7,000 square feet, will offer nearly three times more space than the current center, providing more room for dispatchers, fire support staff, and agency command staff, DFFM’s Fire Management Officer John Truett mentioned the old center's inadequacies, stating, "The current center is outdated and has outgrown our intended needs." "The new building allows us to provide a more comfortable, yet state-of-the-art working space for our dispatchers and increased operating space for our agency’s command and general staff," Truett told DFFM.
Michael Hale, Arizona Dispatch Center Manager, emphasized the crucial role of the new center in enhancing communication during wildfire events, explaining that the updates will enable dispatchers to work more efficiently, with real-time access to vital information. "This new center is critical to our communication capabilities and our role on incidents." "It will provide us a larger, more technologically-advanced workspace so we can improve our service to our firefighters and state safety as a whole," Hale mentioned the potential of the new space to improve operations in a statement obtained by DFFM.
Money for the $4.2 million project comes from HB 2001, passed after the devastating Telegraph and Mescal Fires in 2021, the legislation allocated $100 million for use toward various forestry initiatives including this infrastructure project set to conclude in October 2025, creating a more effective platform for firefighting teams across the state. For further details, DFFM's representative Tiffany Davila can be reached at 602-540-1036 or via email at [email protected].
