STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – The Arizona House Fire Preparedness Ad Hoc Committee will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Payson at Gila Community College, located at 201 North Mud Springs Road.

The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed at:

https://www.azleg.gov/videoplayer/?clientID=6361162879&eventID=2025071001.

The committee was established earlier this year by Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro to advance House Republicans’ priority on public safety and to address the Arizona’s growing wildfire threat. Members are examining weaknesses in fire prevention and response efforts, as well as the increasing difficulty families face in obtaining or maintaining fire insurance—especially in high-risk areas.

On the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting are presentations from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Salt River Project, with a focus on forest conditions, fuel management, and utility response coordination.

“The recent fires in California have shown how fast these disasters can escalate and how devastating they are when systems fail,” said Representative David Marshall, Chairman of the Fire Preparedness Committee. “We can’t afford to wait and hope Arizona doesn’t face the same. This committee is focused on identifying the problems now—so our firefighters, utilities, and communities have the tools they need to be ready.”

The committee includes Chairman Marshall (R-7), along with Representatives Walt Blackman (R-7), Selina Bliss (R-1), John Gillette (R-30), Gail Griffin (R-19), Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D-21), and Myron Tsosie (D-6). In addition, members include experts from the firefighting, forestry, insurance, and local government sectors.

The committee is scheduled to issue findings and recommendations by December 31, 2025.

David Marshall is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 7, which includes Pinal, Gila, Coconino, and Navajo Counties. He also serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Public Safety & Law Enforcement. Follow him on X at @DaveMarshallAZ.