[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6147782,"mediaKeyId","5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e","parentId",5518600,"title","Residents and mitigation groups press lawmakers on insurance nonrenewals and grant rules that limit home hardening","audioSeconds",2370,"startMs",5324000,"endMs",7694000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e&start=5324&end=7694","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e/thumbnail_5324000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6147782/Arizona/Residents-and-mitigation-groups-press-lawmakers-on-insurance-nonrenewals-and-grant-rules-that-limit-home-hardening","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147782-a47ad5e57a2ab2577700321164ed0145/orig.mp4?Expires=1770589330&Signature=kgAfglJ7XMkWxdwcqZB4b-iLujZ14-EvuwriCBSmTrxoEva4fRfvEdlhfTN6IUFS8uffdLOUP-ujct8frQ2wu8DQK~wushldHAC9k5i4pvqmbMZ~YK08x5KE6ONK9-knQZIru1BR~gnHMPaoRa~MSUCetnVl15p9AGhW-tAjkKshKnrnTGZZKmWYHwfA9De8Ay5Rsc6V~BN7fsWRALfasRj5u-UOACtYr4WVT1zheWAG4uRHwS~BMmV4PXZWWSfIEFm5jf6myL2zwKlcHb~lyH7vg~fDSTxWKNoUWxXSDFTTtCtzA-JNWSMxtUUZxQlViBC7bZs0zECuAryo~gCZHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arizona Legislature","date","2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","article","Several residents, mitigation leaders and a local business owner told the House Ad Hoc Committee on Fire Preparedness that insurance nonrenewals and grant program rules are harming small rural communities and complicating home‑hardening efforts.

Elsie Stafferson, executive director of Pine‑Strawberry Fuel Reduction, said the community had high participation in state mitigation grants but that program rules had been changed in ways that penalize successful enrollment. \"We build it as a 90‑10, but we were so successful on getting property owners involved in it. It became a 70‑30, which then became an impediment for some of our people to get that work done,\" she said. Stafferson also said some grants treat repeated maintenance as ineligible if a property received prior grant funding, which can prevent new owners from receiving support.

Business owner James Garner described difficulty obtaining commercial insurance through traditional carriers and attributed many nonrenewals to the way risk maps are applied. He said an arbitrary FEMA mapping boundary placed some Payson properties inside a high‑risk zone and that attempts to get FEMA to correct mapping problems were unsuccessful. \"If you can't get fire insurance and you have a mortgage on your house...the bank decides they're going to insure you and bill that to your mortgage or call your mortgage,\" he told the committee.

Committee members noted prior legislative work to collect real‑time insurance data. Representative Selby and others said last session’s data‑collection bill (signed into law) aims to give Arizona-specific, near‑real‑time information on nonrenewals and premium trends and that follow‑up work with insurers and DFFM seeks ways to tie mitigation dollars to highest‑need places.

Speakers asked lawmakers to review grant rules that increase homeowner cost-shares, to consider ways to stabilize insurance markets and to pursue targeted mitigation funding to help older, second‑home communities where many owners are unable to front costs for grants and then wait for reimbursement.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","07/29/2025 - Fire Preparedness Committee House Ad Hoc","oneSentenceSummary","Residents, mitigation nonprofits and business owners told the committee that FEMA mapping, insurance market volatility and state grant rules hamper mitigation and leave homeowners exposed to nonrenewals and rising premiums; speakers urged data collection and changes to grant rules.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Arizona, Arizona","taxId",78572,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6147789,"Salt River Project outlines multi‑year forest restoration in Payson area, says treatments reduce fire severity and protect water infrastructure",508,2320000,2828000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e&start=2320&end=2828","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e/thumbnail_2320000.jpg","/articles/6147789/Arizona/Salt-River-Project-outlines-multiyear-forest-restoration-in-Payson-area-says-treatments-reduce-fire-severity-and-protect-water-infrastructure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147789-8a7318fae932d82ce2fe87c4cc47243a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770589330&Signature=LKHK6hDD8V0lswM~kBwHmYXNsSM~HlcEke~bcYru7nju3nwlCa7p8pdwyMWqm8hvT6kcBJ~GHD2F3yTURkZnOMQ6rFDh-IBkz4omvfNl637Hp1kIkhJ56i9I6y~iNk0eTTRJR9QFOyIX8DMBwVL5lujarAAa6JmpUfuj1ivSVbSf~3hg0qcd5zuqNBbedRxWgqK2JZug4s9zDc6Zfu541aNa0O~r6nffBOt0sUj4Jb17NPzAp4rTidvy5h248O46wRMKcyS9pG-xTtuVTzDC0PB7UBb487zlF7EghGAok9M78Cp10tiSqDQnsH7i5bz2CZxbV~3M9LgRchSNvFh3SQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Elvie Barton, SRP water and forest sustainability senior manager, told the House Ad Hoc Committee on Fire Preparedness that SRP adopted a forest‑health goal in 2019 to thin 800,000 acres over the coming decades and is investing with partners to increase pace and scale of restoration across the Verde and Salt watersheds.

Barton said SRP and partners have funded more than 29,000 acres of restoration work in the region to date, with six completed projects, four in progress and six planned over the next five years, and that the initiative combines SRP funds with federal, state, local and nonprofit contributions. \"In total, over $25,000,000 has been invested in this regional landscape,\" Barton said.

She described benefits the utility is tracking: reduced infrastructure damage risk to power and water facilities, improved post‑fire watershed resilience and water quality, and improved firefighter safety and suppression effectiveness where treated areas provide safety zones or opportunities for containment actions. Barton highlighted several named treatment projects in the greater Payson area (Winged Victory, Cordelia, Princess Buttercup, Hoops, Pioneer, Roberts) and rim projects (Jude 1–4, Cole Court Stallion, Haigler phases) with acreages and phased start years through 2029.

Barton emphasized that SRP is not a land manager but an implementing and funding partner and that success depends on collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, Arizona DFFM, counties, towns, mills and contractors. She said SRP and DFFM renewed an MOU to coordinate priorities and funding and asked DFFM to provide local procurement and contractor hiring details for community employment concerns.

Committee members asked how many local workers are hired on SRP‑funded projects; Barton deferred to DFFM for procurement specifics and said field staff coordinate projects and SRP has expanded procurement staff to support field operations. SRP offered to provide maps and project details for Yavapai County and other local inquiries.","Salt River Project (SRP) described a multi-project, multi‑partner program to thin and restore thousands of acres in the Payson and rim watersheds to reduce high‑severity wildfire risk and protect water and power infrastructure.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6147791,"Rural fire districts tell committee staffing, ambulance revenue shortfalls threaten service",3881,2227000,6108000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e&start=2227&end=6108","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e/thumbnail_2227000.jpg","/articles/6147791/Arizona/Rural-fire-districts-tell-committee-staffing-ambulance-revenue-shortfalls-threaten-service","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147791-5316d0e92f6d81652732af03aab751e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770589330&Signature=Ny7Q1xKdTS0fjINpP1lrslRsExYKLKL24fadpXIpI6NN9sJ~MkP5bd2Mon3DYUr8UjYp2VsOlUHWJnciZoSbNIAVRB4qlYnlbnE~-bQXKemEXIJgsW0~1sbCzVa2gNAVqow9XmBdGXYmAYbO-ienicGoaSWmvvUQuPvjRwugVBt28tioW8fK2lQ9PB1XaNunyW0RKgadgEIDsvbFbQV0jXcWbCK05A6W5OtW-21iP3y75X8kdD~xsvMLLzoSOqFZE4CwQbCjINvLsg-qG~fTzx7UMTnXXrymLmMVCYiwXp~J~RUa8TV2QNIFeE9-JNuqyloEfozSxpEl66UxM7cAAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fire district leaders, chiefs and the Professional Firefighters of Arizona told the House Ad Hoc Committee on Fire Preparedness that many rural districts are underfunded and struggle to staff engines, keep equipment safe and maintain response times.

Tom Crotta of the Professional Firefighters of Arizona and Dan Freiberg, association president, described statewide impacts: \"Fire district funding in the state of Arizona has put our firefighters in a position where they can't really effectively serve their communities,\" Freiberg said, noting mandatory overtime, fatigue and recruitment pressures that push experienced firefighters toward higher-paying municipal jobs. Freiberg said the union represents about 9,000 firefighters statewide.

Several chiefs gave local examples. Randy Chevalier, fire chief of Timber Mesa Fire Medical District, described a 10,000-square-foot structure fire in Lakeside that exhausted mutual-aid resources across the region and required a type-1 helicopter. \"We completely tapped out the mountain,\" he said, describing one-day depletion of neighboring districts and the subsequent lack of local capacity.

Payson Fire Chief Dave Stobbe described how shrinking volunteer forces and budget constraints forced the Town of Payson to absorb emergency coverage from a nearby failing fire district and now the town subsidizes broader rural coverage. He and others urged lasting funding solutions rather than short-term grants. Stobbe also estimated a $5 million appropriation would fund a fuels-management and response crew for five years in his area.

Chiefs and union leaders pressed legislators to address statutory and structural funding barriers including the effects of Proposition 117 and narrow local tax bases. They urged the legislature to consider targeted appropriations and longer-term funding formulas for rural fire districts so local districts can hire personnel, replace aging apparatus and sustain accreditation and response standards.

Committee members said they would pursue additional appropriations and continue stakeholder conversations. The chair noted multiple pending proposals and said lawmakers would reintroduce and press relevant bills in the next session.","Fire chiefs, union leaders and district representatives told the House ad hoc committee they face chronic staffing shortages, aging apparatus and constrained funding under Arizona tax limits, and that reliance on EMS transport revenue and grants is unsustainable.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6147796,"State fire managers warn fire season is ongoing, urge public caution as resources are held for local defense",1068,313000,1381000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e&start=313&end=1381","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518600-0024b9bb37dd0b6308ec29f31059d17e/thumbnail_313000.jpg","/articles/6147796/Arizona/State-fire-managers-warn-fire-season-is-ongoing-urge-public-caution-as-resources-are-held-for-local-defense","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147796-c2959e1ae211d5ef09457b9b7621eb93/orig.mp4?Expires=1770589330&Signature=YIigK~LJoqCKWbavzW3w9Tp9j8ObSMJsraYxn0gGMgEImULhlB3dC9PyxZ3rekM3fz5Dguxs47ZfmZ5jO5llPybddDLy6Oro5DinSEBJpBy7Pn-WXRjwe0Z8112s83UrDL-ShQGCTnYarkIl1RokOV-~uZrUONJWAMNhDX0inw-psxAvHCwT-TXyOcOAsISVea7rTHJZqEk5mpPi6eUdfI~LJwiE86a3vlgEoPg3WNXpYr5n0ShInpI2ogfNuO-6moBDjDocRA2ZawYN-9nsCRP~2jXvAOuoY0MzTKVR8wYonxEKTKu4LZUDJcoN0a1mYqqi4Vj4QVF291sRnlxR7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Truitt, state fire management officer for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, told the House Ad Hoc Committee on Fire Preparedness that Arizona remains in an active, extended fire season and the department is keeping some resources in the state rather than deploying them elsewhere. \"We can anticipate here at home that we have to hold some of our folks in ready reserve,\" Truitt said. He added that national and regional demand is rising and that preparedness levels (PL) are increasing across the West.

Truitt told legislators the department had recorded 913 fires this year and 122,000 reported state acres burned, a total that does not yet include federal acres. He described the Dragon/Bravo incident as a rapidly growing, dangerous fire with almost 50,000 acres of growth over four days and said mixed-conifer terrain made it unsafe to place firefighters on the front edge. \"You cannot put our firefighters in harm's way,\" he said, noting an eight-mile run of fire in tall timber during a recent wind event.

The chief described how PL levels work and how they determine resource allocation. He said state PL levels combine fuel, resource availability and other science-based inputs; regional PLs cover multi-state areas; and the national PL, set by the National Interagency Coordination Center, guides allocation of national teams, hotshot crews and aircraft. \"As you get into PL level 3, 4, and 5, now that starts to trigger our resource availability, our resource drawdown,\" he said.

On staffing and equipment, Truitt said DFFM has about 75 permanent fire positions statewide and roughly 120 seasonal positions when fully staffed. He told the committee his agency relies heavily on local cooperative fire departments and is “very, very stretched.” Regarding engines, he said roughly 25 state engines were assigned to incidents in the western U.S., on 14-day rotations, and that Arizona is staging resources to ensure local defense capability.

On funding, Truitt said the department has received new state dollars transferring through WIFA: $30 million for fire suppression going forward and an additional $11.2 million to pay past federal invoices dating back to 2021. \"The 11.2 has come through from WIFA...it will be used to pay federal invoices from previous fires, and the $30,000,000 has been received, and that is to fund future fires,\" he said. He also acknowledged that larger capital purchases would require additional legislative approval.

Committee members pressed for public explanation of terminology and process; Truitt answered questions about PL levels, the role of geographic area coordination centers (GACCs) and the drawdown decision to hold some resources in Arizona. He emphasized that many fires this year are human-caused and urged continued public awareness and caution: \"Public awareness of being fire safe during these times...is a very important message that our PIO constantly promotes.\"","Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management officials told the House Ad Hoc Committee on Fire Preparedness that the state remains in an active fire season, with national demand for resources increasing and a decision to hold some engines in-state for local defense.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents and mitigation groups press lawmakers on insurance nonrenewals and grant rules that limit home hardening

Salt River Project outlines multi‑year forest restoration in Payson area, says treatments reduce fire severity and protect water infrastructure

Rural fire districts tell committee staffing, ambulance revenue shortfalls threaten service

State fire managers warn fire season is ongoing, urge public caution as resources are held for local defense