PHOENIX, Arizona (April 28, 2025) – The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management awards nearly $5 million through two separate grants to Arizona fire agencies to support their wildland firefighting operations and programs, the department said in a press release.
DFFM distributed approximately $4.9 million to fire districts through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding given to the State of Arizona from the federal government. Governor Katie Hobbs provided a portion of the ARPA money to DFFM to allow this new grant program to be possible. The ARPA funds help fire districts improve their service to their communities with the purchase of a Type 3 or Type 6 engine, or a tactical water tender.
2024 ARPA Funding Awards:
- Corona de Tucson Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Copper Canyon Fire and Medical District: Type 6 engine
- Ponderosa Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Rincon Valley Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Mohave Valley Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Tusayan Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority: Tactical water tender
- Superstition Fire and Medical Authority: Type 6 engine
- Eloy Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Fort Mojave Mesa Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Fort Thomas Rural Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Avra Valley Fire District: Type 3 engine
- Tri City Fire District: Type 6 engine
- Buckskin Fire: Type 6 engine
- Arizona Fire and Medical Authority: Tactical water tender
In addition to the ARPA money, DFFM awarded $80,000 in Rural Fire Capacity (RFC) grant funding to fire districts and departments to support their critical training and equipment needs.
Agencies awarded 2024/2025 RFC funding include:
- Portal Fire and Rescue
- Mescal Fire District
- Colorado City Fire Department
- Alpine Fire District
- Concho Fire Department
- Duncan Valley Rural Fire District
- Walker Fire Protection Association
- San Simon Fire District
- Joseph City Fire District
- Crown King Fire District
- Peeples Valley Fire District
- Three Points Fire District
- City of Williams
Fire agencies requested funding support for hand tools, including chainsaws along with fire shelters and other personal protection equipment, and communications tools. DFFM’s RFC program helps smaller agencies with critical purchases that often times their budgets do not allow for. In order to qualify for a RFC grant, eligible fire departments or districts must serve a community with a population of 10,000 or less and 80% of the department’s firefighting personnel must be of volunteer status. Grant recipients must also provide a 50% grant match.
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