By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) met with Huachuca City officials Tuesday to discuss a $1.3 million federal funding provision intended to replace the town fire department’s aging ladder-equipped fire engine.
The congressman visited Huachuca City this week and met with local leaders and fire personnel about the proposed purchase. The funding remains preliminary and has not been distributed to the town.
The provision appears in H.R. 8646, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2027. The House passed the bill 213-210 on June 4, and it was received by the Senate on June 8. Senate approval and enactment of the appropriations legislation are still required before the funding becomes available.
Ciscomani’s Community Project Funding disclosure identifies Huachuca City as the intended recipient of $1.3 million for the “Community Fire Protection and Regional Mutual Aid Ladder Truck Acquisition Project.”
The money would replace an aging fire engine with a quint ladder truck equipped with a 78-foot Viper aerial. According to the disclosure, the apparatus would be used for fire suppression, rescue operations, and emergency response.
Huachuca City’s existing ladder-equipped engine dates to 2008 and is approaching the end of its service life. It is currently the department’s only apparatus equipped with a ladder. The town relies on grants and federal funding to finance large equipment purchases.
The proposed truck would be stationed in Huachuca City and made available for regional mutual-aid responses. Ciscomani’s disclosure states that the apparatus would also support emergency operations in Sierra Vista, Fort Huachuca, Whetstone, and unincorporated areas of Cochise County.
“This has different layers of purpose,” Ciscomani told KGUN while discussing the project’s regional role.
Huachuca City Mayor Johann Wallace said the purchase would give the department approximately 20 additional years of apparatus service and allow it to continue assisting other communities throughout Cochise County.
The Huachuca City proposal is among 20 fiscal year 2027 Community Project Funding requests supported by Ciscomani. His office announced in June that the fire-truck provision and two other projects in Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District had been included in the House-passed agriculture appropriations bill.
According to a press release from Ciscomani’s office, the proposed funding for Huachuca City is included among a total of $7.3 million in FY2027 funding for Cochise County.
“As Arizona’s sole appropriator in either the House or Senate, I have made it my mission to be a relentless advocate for Southern Arizona by listening to the needs of our communities and fighting to bring those priorities to Washington,” Ciscomani said.
“Every Community Project Funding request I champion is driven by local leaders and the people they serve, ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested where they will have the greatest impact. These meaningful investments in Cochise County will improve and strengthen public safety by equipping our first responders with the tools necessary to do their job effectively, such as replacing an aging fire engine with a new quint ladder truck, to ensure that across Cochise County they are prepared to meet the moment when it matters most.”
H.R. 8646 remains pending in the Senate. The Huachuca City allocation will depend on the project remaining in the final appropriations legislation approved by Congress and signed into law.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
