February 14, 2023 | Cole Arreola-Karr

The National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC) welcomed in January 2023 the Arizona Fire Districts Association and the Washington Association of Fire Commissioners.

Together, the two western fire district stakeholders add hundreds of special districts and thousands of elected officials’ voices to further strengthen the voice of special districts in Washington, D.C. 

“Special districts are centerpiece fixtures of fire service in Arizona and Washington providing critical first emergency response and contributing to wildland firefighting efforts – many on a volunteer basis,” said Cole Arreola-Karr, NSDC Federal Advocacy Director. “NSDC warmly welcomes the Arizona Fire Districts Association and the Washington Fire Commissioners Association as advocates on federal efforts and is excited to extend NSDC grants resources and more to their memberships.”

The Arizona Fire Districts Association provides education and professional development resources more than 600 elected fire district officials and thousands of personnel in Arizona. The organization also advocates in Phoenix for the state’s fire districts and has done so since 1986.

The Washington Fire Commissioners Associations offers the state’s fire commissioners resources for research and legislative representation in Olympia. The association also provides educational programs and networking opportunities for fire service administrators throughout the state of Washington. The Association also provides affordable health coverage for its member organizations.

According to Census figures, 519 special districts provide fire protection services in Arizona and Washington – 151 and 368 respectively. 

The Coalition thanks these two new members for their membership and support. Follow these respective links for more information about the Arizona Fire Districts Association and the Washington Fire Commissioners Association.

NSDC is the only national organization representing and advocating for all types of special districts at the federal level and continues to advance legislative priorities for the nation’s 35,000 special districts and building capacity to provide grants resources and other value-added benefits for its members. For more information on the Coalition and how to join, contact colek@nationalspecialdistricts.org.