Arizona's Department of Forestry and Fire Management is fuelling local fire agencies with nearly $5 million in grants, aimed at enhancing wildland firefighting capabilities across the state. The bulk of this significant financial backing, approximately $4.9 million, comes courtesy of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, funneled down from the federal government to the state level, following Governor Katie Hobbs's initiative to channel a segment of these resources toward fire district operations.
The grants, detailed in an announcement by the DFFM, prioritize the enhancement of service provided by the districts through the procurement of firefighting vehicles and equipment, with several districts, for instance, Corona de Tucson Fire District and Copper Canyon Fire and Medical District, receiving Type 6 engines while Avra Valley Fire District obtained a Type 3 engine and entities like Central and Arizona Fire and Medical Authority have been granted tactical water tenders, these allocations reflect the vital needs for agencies to be adequately prepared for the wildfire challenges they frequently confront.
Supplementing the ARPA funds, the DFFM also earmarked an additional $80,000 via the Rural Fire Capacity (RFC) grant program to assist smaller fire districts and departments with essential training and equipment necessities. These agencies, such as Portal Fire and Rescue and Colorado City Fire Department, have secured support for critical tools and personal protection gear vital to their operations, including chainsaws, fire shelters, and improved communication tools.
Small fire agencies, often constrained by their budgets, rely heavily on this type of external funding to sustain their operational capabilities. To be eligible for RFC funding, fire departments or districts must serve communities with a population less than 10,000, where 80% of their firefighting personnel are volunteers and they also need to provide a 50% grant match payoff, these conditions ensuring that the aid reaches those who stand on the forefront yet often at the margins of fiscal sustenance.
For more details regarding the grants or the application process, interested parties can reach out to Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or via email at [email protected], as published on the DFFM's official announcement.
