Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 99F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..
Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 78F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: July 2, 2025 @ 12:23 am
A firefighter in training learns a rescue technique during Arizona Fire School, which is held for rural firefighters.
A firefighter in training learns a rescue technique during Arizona Fire School, which is held for rural firefighters.
For the 52nd year in a row, the Arizona Fire Training Committee will hold its annual fire school from Wednesday, Sept. 3, to Sunday, Sept. 7, across the Valley, giving rural area firefighters essential training they might not otherwise get.
Thanks to generous donations from APS, The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation, Arizona Financial and others to the Arizona Firefighters Fund, the committee is accepting scholarship requests from rural area fire departments to receive the funding needed to send attendees to the school.
Each year, nearly 1,000 firefighters take part in the annual school where rural and volunteer firefighters throughout the state go through a comprehensive training with both in-class and live training to enhance skills and get the latest techniques in firefighting, thanks to Metro Phoenix departments.
Roughly 400 of the firefighters attending each year are on scholarships through the philanthropy arm of the committee, the Arizona Firefighters Fund. This year, $600 scholarships will be awarded on a prioritized basis to volunteer departments, departments with less than six paid firefighters and other departments that have experienced cuts to their training budgets or have a specified need.
“Our No. 1 priority is to ensure our fire professionals across the state have the access to training they need and deserve,” said Eric Kriwer, executive director of the Arizona Firefighters Fund. “This school provides the hands-on and classroom training necessary to keep our communities and the firefighters safe and we are thankful for the support of our donors to allow for these scholarships .”
Since 2012, more than $1 million in scholarships have been gifted to 3,750 firefighters across the state. Over the course of 50 years, more than 150 fire departments across the Southwest have benefited from the life-saving training provided at the school.
Recently, the committee received a $12,500 grant from Arizona Financial Credit Union with perennial donors APS, The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation, Youth Angels Foundation and Pioneer Title Company continuing their support of Arizona’s fire service professionals.
Departments or fire service agencies interested in fire school registration or requesting scholarships can email arizonafirefightersfund@gmail.com for more information.
For more information about the Arizona Fire School or interested in donating, visit arizonafirefightersfund.org.
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