First response is a team sport in Arizona

The impact of these investments extends well beyond one firefighter or one department. The Arizona Fire School’s “bring-it-home” model encourages participants to return home with not just new skills but the ability to teach and mentor others. A single scholarship can ripple across an entire region, elevating safety standards and strengthening local response capacity for years to come.”

Each September, hundreds of firefighters converge on Mesa for the Arizona Fire School — a four-day event started in 1973 that looks, from the outside, like a blur of drills, engines and smoke. But behind the turnout gear and live-fire training is something even more powerful: a spirit of collaboration that defines what it means to be a first responder in Arizona. 

The Arizona Fire School isn’t run by a single department or agency. It’s the product of partnerships that stretch from the smallest volunteer fire districts in northern Arizona to the largest urban departments in the Phoenix metro area. It takes coordination between the all-volunteer Arizona State Fire Training Committee, local host agencies, instructors from dozens of departments, and a network of sponsors and donors who believe in one simple truth: training saves lives. 

In many ways, it’s the purest expression of the phrase “first response is a team sport.” 

The scale of the event speaks to its reach: more than 700 firefighters from across the state, many from rural and volunteer departments, come together to sharpen their skills in everything from vehicle extrication and rope rescue to emergency driving and live-fire scenarios. These are the same skills they’ll rely on when the call comes in from a neighbor in need, whether it’s a car wreck on a mountain road or a wildfire threatening a community. 

The logistics behind that training are as complex as the rescues themselves. Metro Phoenix departments open their doors and share their world-class facilities. Instructors volunteer their time to teach specialized courses. And through the Arizona Firefighters Fund, financial barriers are reduced so that cost never stands between a firefighter and critical education. 

This year alone, the fund provided more than 300 scholarships to firefighters who might otherwise never have access to this kind of training. Those scholarships are made possible by perennial partners including APS and the Kemper & Ethel Marley Foundation, and newer donors like Arizona Financial, Pioneer Title, the Youth Angel Foundation, Walter Station Brewery and Southwest Gas. Since 2012, these collaborations have provided over $1 million in scholarships to more than 3,500 firefighters statewide. 

Organizations like Arizona Financial — whose roots are tied to supporting city employees and first responders — continue to prioritize firefighter training through direct funding. Their recent $12,500 grant to the fire training committee exemplifies this commitment, providing scholarships for rural firefighters who often operate with limited budgets. Similarly, APS and Southwest Gas not only help fund scholarships but also partner with the committee on coursework related to utilities that enhances safety in the communities they serve. 

The impact of these investments extends well beyond one firefighter or one department. The Arizona Fire School’s “bring-it-home” model encourages participants to return home with not just new skills but the ability to teach and mentor others. A single scholarship can ripple across an entire region, elevating safety standards and strengthening local response capacity for years to come. 

Support from urban departments remains equally vital. Agencies from Mesa, Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert and beyond contribute facilities, instructors and logistical support to make the fire school possible each year. Their generosity reflects a shared truth: whether a firefighter wears a patch from a major city or a town most Arizonans have never heard of, they are part of the same team when disaster strikes. 

At a time when public safety resources are stretched and communities face new threats — from extreme heat to new technologies to expanding population centers, this kind of cooperation isn’t just symbolic. It’s essential. 

The Arizona Fire School stands as a reminder that first response doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s a relay, a collaboration and a shared commitment. When firefighters train together, they build the muscle memory, trust and confidence that define effective response. And when communities invest in that training — through public support, sponsorships and awareness — they strengthen the safety net that protects us all. 

Because when the alarm sounds, there’s no such thing as a single department, city or responder. There’s just one team, Arizona’s firefighters, ready to answer the call together. 

Editor’s note: Dan Bramble chairs the Phoenix-based Arizona State Fire Training Committee. He lives in Payson. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines