TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — As wildfires burn uncontrolled in Los Angeles County and critics level fingers at authorities failures, town of Tempe needs to reassure those that it’s prepared for any emergency.
One downside was fire hydrants ran dry whereas firefighters battled the Palisades and Eaton Fires. Some crews might solely watch as homes went up in flames due to a scarcity of water.
Tempe issued a press release on Friday saying that Tempe Water Utilities retains thousands and thousands of gallons of water by way of its system always for firefighters to make use of.
“This water is in reserve – it’s not used except completely essential, and it’s by no means wasted,” officers stated.
Tempe has about 10,000 hearth hydrants that cowl town’s 40 sq. miles.
Crews do preventative upkeep on every hydrant a minimum of as soon as each three years and examine often-used hydrants extra incessantly, leaders stated.
Officers stated the Tempe Hearth Medical Rescue Division has the very best potential Insurance Service Office rating, which charges hearth departments and communities on how properly they will deal with fires.
In 1997, the division grew to become the primary internationally accredited hearth division, and so they have saved that accreditation ever since.
As of 2019, TFMR has an ISO ranking of 1, the perfect ranking within the system, which means decrease residence insurance coverage premiums.
The Tempe Hearth Medical Rescue Division additionally has weekly coaching to verify crews are ready for any emergency, from hazardous supplies response to water rescues.
Town can be a part of the Regional Automated Assist System, a partnership among the many 23 hearth departments within the Valley. So which means the closest firefighters reply to an emergency, irrespective of which metropolis it’s in.
County and state-level officers are prepared to assist if there’s a large-scale catastrophe.
“Whereas nobody can count on tragedies similar to what is going on in California, the Metropolis of Tempe has taken motion to be prepared and reactive,” officers stated.
FULL COVERAGE: Wildfires rage across Los Angeles County
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you’ve gotten a photograph or video of a breaking information story? Ship it to us here with a quick description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
