If the multiple wildfires that flared throughout Arizona this summer didn’t already strain fire districts’ resources, the COVID-19 pandemic surely did.
The virus outbreak has incurred costs on fire districts ranging from overtime pay for firefighters who cover for their sick co-workers to replacement costs for equipment that was contaminated by COVID-19, according to Pima County officials.
Assistant County Administrator John Voorhees wrote in a memo that the federal government usually provides fire districts with direct emergency funding in a “disaster scenario” such as this, but the process is slow and districts are understandably anxious for extra funds during this time. In addition, county officials are uncertain about whether the federal government will even approve these types of cost reimbursements.