Certifications, Licensing & Insurance

WHO WE ARE

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Southwest Sawyers LLC is licensed, bonded and insured, operating throughout Arizona. Every project — whether it's a single residential lot or a multi-acre HOA common area — is carried out under general liability insurance coverage, so homeowners, HOA boards, and commercial clients can hire us with confidence.

Our field leadership is rooted in real wildland firefighting experience. Co-founder Stratton Palmer served as a wildland firefighter before starting Southwest Sawyers, and that background shapes how our crews assess risk, prioritize work, and operate safely on every job site.

• Licensed, bonded and insured LLC operating throughout Arizona
• General liability insurance coverage on every project
• Crews trained in defensible space principles consistent with Firewise USA and NFPA guidance
• Safety-first equipment operation and documented jobsite protocols
• Field leadership rooted in hands-on wildland firefighting experience
• Ongoing crew training as defensible space standards and best practices evolve

CREW TRAINING & NWCG CERTIFICATIONS

Trained to Wildland Fire Standards, Not Just Landscaping Standards

Our crews don't just clear brush — they're trained the way wildland firefighters are trained to understand fire behavior, fuel loads, and jobsite safety. Between our founders and our field crews, Southwest Sawyers holds current NWCG (National Wildfire Coordinating Group) and related certifications including:

• IS-700 — National Incident Management System, An Introduction
• ICS-100 — Introduction to the Incident Command System
• L-180 — Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service
• S-130 — Firefighter Training
• S-190 — Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior
• S-211 — Portable Pumps and Water Use
• S-212 — Wildland Fire Chainsaws
• RT-130 — Annual Wildland Fire Safety Refresher
• FFT1 — Firefighter Type 1 qualification
• FAL2 — Faller 2 chainsaw felling certification
• Saw Card — certified chainsaw operator qualification
• First Aid & CPR — current certification for every crew lead

These are the same certifications used by wildland fire crews and agency sawyers across the country — not a certificate a landscaping company prints off the internet. Our sawyers carry current saw cards, and we hold several additional NWCG certifications beyond the list above as our team continues training every season.