June 15, 2023

Through the Arizona Board of Trustees’ new community grants approved by the board today, the fire agency will be better positioned to provide solutions to workers who are out of work due to high housing costs.

of community grant It aims to answer key questions about housing issues for firefighters and suggest solutions to issues that affect communities. Fast growing Prescott area. The study is consistent with a Regent’s Community grant approved by the Commission earlier this year to address challenges in retaining and recruiting firefighters.

The lack of affordable housing in rural Arizona poses a significant challenge for public safety professionals and their families.

“We are struggling,” said Fire Chief Scott Freitag, who heads the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Department. CAFMA serves her more than 106,000 Arizonans living in the Prescott Valley area and more than half of Yavapai County. “It cannot be ignored that a major issue with recruitment and retention is housing. , often unable to pay.”

This issue poses a major challenge for government agencies. When hiring personnel, each department invests her $100,000 or more in training each firefighter, who may quit and take a job in another community that can afford it.

Last year, Freitag’s department was short of 20 positions due to injuries and retirements. In the future, he may need to add more than 40 positions to the operational and non-operational staff. Freitag said the shortage of applicants is exacerbating the problem. Recruiting and retaining qualified staff is an ongoing challenge.

“If a loved one has a medical emergency or a fire breaks out, we take it for granted that firefighters are available,” said ABOR Chairman Lindell Manson. . “The reality that the communities in which firefighters work are often unable to afford housing is alarming and untenable in the future. We aim to provide a solution to this problem so that you can focus on what matters.”

The grant will be led by researchers from Northern Arizona University to define challenges and develop strategies and programs for firefighters to secure housing in their communities. The researchers will also investigate questions such as: The amount of housing stock available to firefighters. Existing gaps in both quantity and housing type. And how comparable cities and towns are doing better with civil servant housing issues.

One housing avoidance strategy firefighters are using is commuting to work from where housing is more affordable and available. But living away from work means long drives are tiring and you miss family time. Commuting firefighters typically don’t have time to volunteer in the communities where they work, Freitag said, affecting the fire department’s ability to support additional community efforts.

Researchers will work with community stakeholders, including CAFMA, Prescott Fire Department, Yavapai County and local government leaders, government agencies, local real estate developers, legal professionals, and local vocational and high schools.

contact:
Sarah Harper 602-229-2542, 602-402-1341 | Sarah.K.Harper@azregents.edu
Julie Newberg 602-229-2534 | julie.newberg@azregents.edu