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Volunteer crews and mutual aid lauded; council flags equipment, radio and staffing gaps
Summary
Local fire responders and council members praised volunteers and mutual aid from nearby towns but asked the council to pursue more volunteer recruitment, additional radios for trucks, new tanker tires and a utility side‑by‑side fitted for firefighting gear.
Brian Batt, speaking for the local fire response, praised outside agencies and volunteers and highlighted operational gaps that hampered the response. He thanked the BLM, Forest Service and neighboring city departments and singled out the posse for keeping looky‑loos clear of the canyon; "A lot of outside offerings for help, food, water supplies. The overall attitude of the town, I thought was great," he said.
Batt and others asked the council to prioritize funding for additional volunteer recruitment, replacement tires for a tanker that suffered a flat, radios in trucks that currently rely on handhelds, and a properly equipped side‑by‑side so volunteers can ride with protective gear. Council members echoed the need for better cellular coverage after several responders reported long drives to reach a mobile service trailer.
