America’s special districts providing emergency and public safety services will meet for their first virtual forum that will cover topics ranging from procurement best practices, highlights for the 2024 Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program, and federal legislative updates.

The American Association of Special Districts’ (AASD) Emergency Services & Public Safety Division will host this inaugural forum on Thursday, November 21, at 1 p.m. ET – an event geared toward nearly 7,000 special districts providing fire, ambulance, 9-1-1, policy/safety, jail facilities, and related emergency services. Registration is requiredclick here to register.

AASD Emergency Services Director Chief Mary Dalton (Arizona Fire & Medical Authority) will kick off the Forum.  

America’s special emergency services and public safety districts continue to feel the squeeze of rising service costs on consistently tight, lean budgets – which is why the Division’s first conversation topics will range from financial best practices to federal policy updates and key funding opportunity highlights for America’s emergency service districts.


America’s Emergency Services Districts Forum

Focus on Cooperative Purchasing with Cooperative Services

Thursday, November 21, 2024
1 p.m. ET | Noon CT | 11 a.m. MT | 10 a.m. PT

Live Via Zoom

Click here to register


Emergency Services Districts, Power in Numbers & Cooperative Purchasing

Our feature presentation will focus on how special districts can flex their ‘local government power-in-numbers’ with cooperative purchasing agreements. Cooperative Services’ Crosby Grindle, Cofounder (AASD Professional Network Founding Trial Member) will share more about the procurement practice and how fire, ambulance, and other special districts can approach cooperative agreements for their procurement needs.

Assistance to Firefighter Grant & Federal Updates
Brad Zerbe with Grant Management Associates will provide a brief overview of the 2024 Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) opportunity, which is open through December 20.

Cole Arreola-Karr, currently serving as National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials Executive Director, will also share federal legislative updates as Congress looks to the Lame Duck session.

This AASD Emergency Services & Public Safety Division forum is open to interested special district leaders and stakeholders at no cost. Future Division meetings will be exclusive to AASD Members. Learn more about AASD Membership here.

Contact Cole Arreola-Karr, AASD Executive Director, for questions at cole@americasdistricts.org.