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Scottsdale fire chief outlines use of ground-applied retardants and volunteer roles in wildfire mitigation
Summary
Fire Chief Tom Shannon told the council on Sept. 9 that ground-applied fire retardants can reduce vegetation flammability and extend control windows but carry environmental cautions; the department also described a volunteer program of roughly 90 rostered volunteers focused on prevention and community risk reduction.
Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon briefed the council on ground-applied fire retardants and the city's volunteer program as part of a work study on wildfire mitigation.
Chief's overview: Shannon said ground-applied retardants are a newer tactic that can be used to coat vegetation near structures or along control lines to "reduce the flammability of the fuel" and create wider windows for control and escape. He noted benefits including reduced water use during suppression and some product "stickiness" that can persist for days or months, but cautioned about environmental sensitivities: retardants can harm aquatic species, may fertilize vegetation (potentially increasing regrowth), and require technical application methods.
Volunteer program and community efforts: The department reported more than 90 rostered volunteers (including cadets) primarily engaged in prevention and community risk-reduction tasks such as home assessments, smoke-alarm installs, lock boxes, trail safety liaison work, and windshield hazardous-vegetation surveys. Chief Shannon emphasized volunteers' value in prevention programs while noting operational limits for deployment in hazardous frontline roles.
Support from partners: John Truitt of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Sasha Weller of the Scottsdale Firefighters Association praised Scottsdale's proactive prevention and regional leadership in wildland-urban interface work; Truitt called Scottsdale's department "very professional and very aggressive" on mitigation and response.
Environment and policy questions: Councilmembers raised concerns about long-term environmental impacts of ground-applied retardants in the preserve and the need for environmental studies. Chief Shannon said the product is approved by the U.S. Forest Service and that the city will continue to evaluate environmental consequences and tactics. He reported progress on an updated NAOS ordinance (natural area open space) intended to clarify resident and fire-chief roles and expects language to the city manager for mid-fall review.
Next steps: The fire chief and city staff will continue to refine NAOS language, assess environmental implications for retardant use, and outline operational guidance for volunteers; the chief asked the council to hold the department accountable for maintaining recruitment and training to address attrition.
