By Lisa Borowsky | Mayor of Scottsdale
I recently attended the Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association City Council Forum at the Civic Center Library. It was a good opportunity to listen and learn about each candidate’s ideas on community issues.
I left the forum deeply disappointed — not because of disagreement, but because of how the well-intention of a citizen proposal was inaccurately characterized.
At the forum, a resident-driven idea to introduce a Volunteer Wildfire Brigade for Scottsdale was presented in a way that suggested volunteers would be sent out to actively fight wildfires. That was never the proposal, far from it.
The idea centered on enhancing preparedness, prevention and education, enlisting the help of qualified (vetted by the Scottsdale Fire Department) members of our community who were interested in volunteering.
The proposal was simple and responsible: Enlist capable volunteers to assist with disseminating wildfire education to homeowners and HOAs, assist with clearing dry brush and other wildfire fuel mitigation, and creating defensible space around residences.
Of Note: These are proven strategies that reduce wildfire risk and improve community safety. They are not frontline firefighting activities, nor were they ever intended to be.
Inaccurately framing this proposal as a volunteer firefighting force shifts the conversation away from what truly matters: Enhancing Scottsdale’s preparedness while protecting homes, neighborhoods and natural desert spaces from catastrophic wildfire.
Across Arizona and the southwest, we know the risks are growing. Hotter temperatures, prolonged drought and increased development near wildland areas have made wildfire preparation more urgent than ever. Wildfire fuel mitigation is one of the most effective tools communities have.
Removing excess brush and dead vegetation dramatically reduces fire intensity and spread. Creating fire breaks gives professional firefighters critical advantages when they are called into action. Educating residents about defensible space saves homes and, in many cases, lives.
None of this replaces our firefighters. None of it diminishes their role. In fact, it supports them. Our Scottsdale firefighters are among the best in the country. They are highly trained professionals who do an extraordinary job under extraordinarily difficult conditions. A volunteer effort focused on preparedness complements their work — it does not compete with it.
This distinction matters.
When discussions about public safety are oversimplified or mischaracterized, we lose the opportunity to collaborate. We risk discouraging residents who want to be part of the solution. Civic engagement should be welcomed, not dismissed or, worse yet, mocked.
The resident who brought this idea forward was not attempting to rewrite emergency response protocols or put untrained volunteers in harm’s way. They were asking how neighbors can help prepare Scottsdale before the next wildfire season — not during an active emergency.
That is a question worth asking.
Scottsdale has a long history of responsible planning, innovation, and community involvement. We have neighborhood volunteers, park stewards, and citizen advisory groups who care deeply about this city. Wildfire preparedness should be no different.
Notably, every candidate but two expressed opposition to the volunteer idea based upon the false premise that the proposal included volunteers engaging in firefighting activities; unfortunately, signaling either their ignorance of this issue or their need to agree with the moderator.
Editor’s Note: Lisa Borowsky is mayor of Scottsdale
