During a crisis, the media often relays information faster than any government agency.

“We play a vital public role,” said Arizona Republic reporter John D’Anna.

“There’s always a need to find balance in trying to provide access and be safe. It’s a juggling act, but our priority is always safety,” said Schmidlin.

Arizona FAC President Morgan Loew expressed concern in regards to the Wallow Fire, saying that residents were allowed back into fire area whereas reporters were not, and D’Anna said that reporters across the board were not given the same access to areas.

“If you allow one class of civilians back in, shouldn’t everyone be allowed in,” asked D’Anna.

D’Anna mentioned that he when he inquired about the distinction between homeowners and the media, he was told it was a privacy issue. He said that the media tries to be respectful, but that reporters are doing a service for those who need to know what is happening in the fire area.

According to Schmidlinm local law enforcement is the agency that makes the call when the residents can go back into their neighborhoods.

Teri Hayt, managing editor of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, said that during last year’s fire near Sierra Vista, the Star had better and quicker intel from the army spokespeople at nearby Ft. Huachuca, than from the U.S. Forest Service.

“Safety is absolutely first,” said Hayt. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt, but we need to get the story out and be able to answer questions from the community.”

Several media members in attendance at the meeting agreed that access to covering fires is very inconsistent.

“We need to get better with communication and consistency among different teams,” said Schmidlin.