Despite national ambulance shortage, Tucson-area fire departments say they aren’t experiencing a shortage

VIDEO: Fire departments all throughout the country are feeling the pain of a national ambulance shortage. The shortage started during the Covid-19 pandemic when chassis manufacturing slowed down. A chassis is the base frame of a motor vehicle. “A lot of these ambulance shortages started around the time of the pandemic," Golder Ranch Fire District Deputy Chief Adam Jarrold said. "A lot of the global trade kind of shut down, so it got tough to get anything from ambulances to consumer electronics.” Tucson Fire Department Chief Chuck Ryan echoed Jarrold and said chassis manufacturers are struggling with labor, parts and supplies. “This is definitely the first time we’ve seen something this significant. We see the shortages at all levels,” Jarrold said.
KGUN-TV ABC 9 Tucson

Florence begins planning for police and fire substations

The Town Council Monday approved estimates for police and fire substations to be built in the next 10 years for submittal to the town’s development impact fee consultant. Impact fees are charged on new construction to help growth pay for itself. The police impact fee currently adds $754 to the cost of a new home. With no imminent plans to build a new police station, town staff had suggested suspending the fee at the council’s Sept. 5 meeting. But the council disagreed, noting rapid growth on the horizon. Town staff estimate the cost of the first new substation would be $18 million, with total operational costs of $3.1 million in the first year. The second substation is estimated to cost $24.8 million, with operational costs of $3.6 million in the first year. Police vehicle purchases are estimated at $800,000 in the next five years.
Florence Reminder & Blade-Tribune

30 people evacuated as crews fight blaze at Mesa law office

Crews were working to put out a fire at a Mesa law office Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters say the blaze started on the office’s roof near Southern Avenue and Mesa Drive and that 30 employees were evacuated. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm, with more units and crews requested. Officials say no injuries to employees or firefighters have been reported, and the investigation is ongoing.
KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family)

Windy conditions expected, crews will look for ways to proceed on Valentine Fire near Young

Due to expected winds today, Crews will be scouting the existing road systems and terrain in the southwest perimeter to plan the best route to proceed when conditions improve. Yesterday, crews performed ignitions along the south fire line to bring the fire toward FSRD 411 while north crews patrolled the fire line. Today, crews are scouting the terrain looking for the best options to bring the fire south and patrolling the fire edge during wind events. Smoke from the Valentine Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas for many days. Smoke will be heavier in the mornings as it settles into the lower elevations and will lift as temperatures increase. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.
Arizona Emergency Information Network

Phoenix Fire Department Participates in Collaborative Research Project Aimed at Reducing Cancer in Fire Service

VIDEO: Firefighters face numerous health risks due to their exposure to smoke, chemicals, and other hazardous materials while on duty, and cancer is a significant concern in the profession. Collaborative research efforts are crucial in finding ways to mitigate these risks and improve the health and safety of firefighters. The purpose of this Firefighter Collaborative Research Project is to test interventions to reduce firefighter serum PFAS levels, cardiovascular risk, cognitive disease risks, and epigenetic age. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that are commonly referred to as 'forever chemicals' due to their inability to be easily broken down in the human body and the environment. Epigenetics is the study of how your genetic information is expressed differently based on your behaviors and environment.
City of Phoenix

House fire contained by Yuma Fire Department

The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) said a fire on the back patio of a home spread into the kitchen where a woman, two dogs, and one cat were inside. YFD said the fire happened Wednesday morning in the area of West 22nd Place and South 3rd Avenue. Firefighters were able to find the fire on the back patio of the home and contain the fire. According to YFD, the woman found the fire and was able to evacuate safely with the dogs, and the cat was later found safe outside of the home. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation. YFD said there is no reason to believe this was an intentionally set fire. The American Red Cross was also called to the area to help out the residents since the home had enough damage that it could not be immediately reoccupied, said YFD.
KYMA-DT CBS/NBC 11 Yuma

Several fall prescribed burns slated for Kaibab and Apache-Sitgreaves national forests

Fire managers on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests plan to conduct a series of prescribed burns over the fall and winter. Officials say they’re waiting for the appropriate fuel moisture, temperature, wind and humidity to begin nearly 20 projects making up thousands of acres on the Alpine, Black Mesa, Clifton, Springerville and Lakeside ranger districts. Meanwhile, officials on the Kaibab National Forest plan several ignitions during the first week of October that could total more than 25,000 acres near Williams, 13,000 acres near Tusayan and more than 16,000 acres on the North Kaibab Ranger District. Neither forest provided details on the exact timing of the burns but say managers will incorporate the guidance of the Forest Service Chief’s National Prescribed Fire Program Review.
KNAU-FM 88.7 Flagstaff

Flagstaff: How Northern Arizona University is using thermal drones to track prescribe burns and water leaks

VIDEO: Students at Northern Arizona University are getting hands-on experience flying drones thanks to funding from the Salt River Project and these students are already making real-world differences in our forests and our water system. Leo O’Neill is a forestry graduate student at NAU. He got into forestry because of his interest in the impact of wildfires. Now, he gets to fly thermal imaging drones over prescribed burns. “Specifically looking at how we can evaluate prescribed burns and use the drone to evaluate these burns and look at if they’re effective at treating the landscape,” O’Neill said. They look to see how effective the burns were at getting rid of excess fuel in the forest. So, when a wildfire starts, it is less fuel-driven. He said with their research, the U.S. Forest Service can then modify how and where they do prescribe burns.
KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family)