1. LTR Terminate Letter of Appointment: Arizona Officer of State Fire Marshal

				    
                                  City of Yuma Fire Department
                              One City Plaza, Yuma, AZ  85364
			       928-373-4850
			        




August 6, 2026

Chief Charles Dowdy
State Fire Marshal
Arizona Office of the State Fire Marshal
1110 W. Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007

RE: Termination of City of Yuma Fire Department Letter of Appointment

Dear Marshal Dowdy,

On behalf of the City of Yuma Fire Department, I would like to thank the Arizona Office of the State Fire Marshal for its longstanding partnership and support of our community. The relationship between our agencies has allowed the City of Yuma to work collaboratively with the Office of the State Fire Marshal to promote fire and life safety throughout our jurisdiction for many years.

Pursuant to the terms of the current Letter of Appointment, this letter serves as formal written notification that the City of Yuma is terminating its existing Letter of Appointment with the Office of the State Fire Marshal. This action has been authorized by the Yuma City Council through Resolution No. R2026-___, adopted on ____________, 2026.

This decision is administrative in nature and reflects recent changes to Arizona law that provide new mechanisms for local fire code enforcement activities. The City possesses independent statutory authority to conduct fire and life safety inspections throughout its jurisdiction where authorized by Arizona law, and House Bill 2324 provides an opportunity for cities, counties, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to enter into Intergovernmental Agreements for the inspection of county-owned buildings using locally adopted fire codes.

Termination of this Letter of Appointment does not affect the City of Yuma Fire Department's separate Intergovernmental Agreement with the Office of the State Fire Marshal for public school inspections, and we remain committed to fulfilling our responsibilities under that agreement.

Should Yuma County elect to jointly petition the Office of the State Fire Marshal for an Intergovernmental Agreement pursuant to current Arizona law, the City of Yuma Fire Department would welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with your office and Yuma County to continue providing high-quality fire prevention services under that framework.
We sincerely appreciate the professionalism and partnership of the Office of the State Fire Marshal and look forward to continuing our strong working relationship in the years ahead.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this transition, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully,



John Louser
Fire Chief