Our Story — Yuma County Fire
Rural Metro Fire — Our Story

Protecting Yuma County since 1971

More than five decades of showing up — built on a belief that every family deserves protection, regardless of where their property line falls.

Lou Witzeman — founding of Rural Metro Fire
1948 — The Idea

Born from a Belief That Every Family Deserves Protection

In 1948, a 22-year-old Arizona journalist named Lou Witzeman watched his neighbor's home burn to ash while no fire department came — because the house sat just outside city limits and beyond the reach of municipal protection.

Driven by the belief that every family deserves protection regardless of where their property line falls, Lou set out to change that. He was the first to build a private fire company that could operate across multiple communities, and he pioneered the idea of contracting directly with municipalities to get it done.

"It takes hard work, brains, and luck to make it in the world of privately operated fire service."

The history of Rural Metro in Arizona is proof of exactly that.

Rural Metro expanding across the Valley
Passing the Torch
1971 - Yuma County

Rural Metro Expands Into Yuma County

Rural/Metro arrived in the Yuma County area in 1971 through the acquisition of Tri-State Rural Fire Department, which had previously served unincorporated communities where property taxes didn't fund fire protection. The company was already well-established after 22 years of operation in Arizona, owning 60 trucks, covering 2,500 square miles of territory, and serving as the official fire department for Scottsdale.

The purchase brought new resources to rural residents outside the Yuma city limit. Under the new arrangement, the department was renamed Yuma Rural/Metro Fire Department Inc.

Royce Drysdale, the former Tri-State Rural owner, stayed on as chief and oversaw plans to upgrade equipment and expand services, including a continuous 24-hour training and duty program.

Yuma Future
RURAL METRO YUMA TODAY

Positioned to Serve Our Community Into the future

What began with four trucks and a handful of unincorporated communities in 1971 has grown into a substantial operation. Rural Metro Fire Department today serves Yuma County from six fire stations, protecting a county whose total population has climbed to nearly 218,000 — with roughly 64,000 of those residents living in the unincorporated areas that remain the department's core mission.

The most recent expansion came in 2024 with the opening of Station 10 in the Foothills, a direct response to one of the county's fastest growing areas. The department continues to operate on a subscription membership model, with firefighters trained as EMTs and paramedics — reflecting how far the department's role has expanded beyond simple fire suppression."

That same year, Rural Metro Fire was acquired by Brindlee Fire Services, a powerhouse in the fire service industry. Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus, its flagship operation, stands as the largest buyer, seller, and servicer of fire apparatus in the Western Hemisphere — maintaining the nation's largest on-site inventory of fire trucks, aerial units, and rescue apparatus. For Yuma County residents, it means the same excellent service they have always counted on — now backed by an organization that exists for one purpose: serving the fire industry at the highest level.

Still Here. Still Protecting.

From Four Trucks in 1971 to Six Stations Across Yuma County

Rural Metro Fire has been a constant in Yuma County for more than five decades. Our mission has never changed: professional, reliable fire protection built on a direct commitment to the families and communities we serve — ensuring that no corner of this county is ever left without someone to call.