Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (CAFMA) Operations is responsible for fire suppression, emergency medical services, wildland response, training, and special operations activities within our 369 square mile area covering Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Dewey-Humboldt and unincorporated areas of Yavapai County. Operations personnel respond to over 16,000 calls each year out of 10 full-time stations, two reserve stations, and a 40-hour engine that operates out of our Training Center.
Operations is comprised of full-time personnel organized into three shifts in two battalions, Battalion 3 and Battalion 6. Each is supervised by a Battalion Chief who is responsible for emergency and administrative functions for their particular shift and battalion. Each Battalion Chief subsequently reports directly to the Assistant Chief of Operations, John Feddema. The work schedule is an alternating schedule of 24-hour shifts.
Our agency takes part in automatic aid, countywide, and statewide mutual aid. CAFMA response to fire and medical emergencies immediately outside the Authority’s jurisdiction will be limited to those areas which are protected by contract or by an agency which has a current automatic/mutual aid or intergovernmental agreement with the CAFMA. CAFMA resources may respond to automotive accidents within a five (5) mile area beyond our geographical boundaries.
In addition to firefighting and medical training, CAFMA employs personnel that are trained and equipped to handle unusual or technically challenging calls that fall outside normal fire or emergency medical responses. The personnel making up these special units, or teams, are fire authority personnel that have been trained to confront incidents that pose a high degree of risk to both community members and responders.
Special Operations
Within our Operations Division, there is a team of personnel that are specially trained to handle highly technical responses. The members of the teams are local, as well as regional assets as members of the Prescott Regional Technical Rescue Team and the Prescott Area Hazardous Materials Team.
In addition, our Wildland Division consists of highly trained personnel that respond in our area, around the State of Arizona as well as to other States. We are proud to employ members of both Type I and Type III incident management teams specializing in wildland and All Hazard incident response.
By receiving hundreds of hours of specialty training, and by being part of the regional teams, our existing personnel are more productive in that they provide an increased level of service to the citizens of our community. Responses to wildland fires, floods, hazardous chemical accidents, building collapse, and the release of weapons of mass destruction are all addressed by our highly trained personnel.
CAFMA has a variety of specialty equipment and apparatus that can be used to augment general operations. Personnel involved with special operations regularly train in an effort maintain proficiency in their respective areas of expertise.