Every family in Maricopa expects the same thing when they call 911. Help needs to arrive quickly, with enough trained personnel to handle the emergency.
Councilmember Vincent Manfredi recently shared details about the city’s public safety investments, like hiring more firefighters and police officers, raising pay, and starting a new ambulance service. These steps are important. But residents also deserve to know: Are we keeping up with Maricopa’s growth, or are we continuing trying to catch up?
Two recent studies help us look for answers.
The city’s Matrix study from May 2025 found problems with response times, staffing, and station coverage. It suggested hiring more people, adding training resources, and building new fire stations.
Another study, requested by our frontline firefighters through IAFF Local 4561, examined five years of emergency response data through December 2025. It showed that emergency calls went up by 11.3% from 2021 to 2025. In 2025, the first unit to arrive took 8 minutes and 7 seconds in 90% of cases, while the national goal is four minutes.
The firefighters’ study also found another big problem. If your house catches fire, only a small part of Maricopa has enough firefighters to get there within 8 minutes to meet national standards. For larger buildings, such as apartment complexes, the study found that our current staffing and station locations can’t meet those standards anywhere in the city.
These numbers matter, especially as Maricopa continues to grow.
The firefighters’ report suggests building a new station near Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway. The city’s plan includes Station 573 in that area, but it won’t be finished until June 2029. An earlier study also pointed out service needs near Smith-Enke and Stonegate roads. So how will those neighborhoods get better coverage while we wait for new stations to be built?
The city is also preparing to launch its own ambulance service. Each ambulance needs two firefighters per shift, and with three shifts, that’s at least six people per ambulance, not counting time off or training. Running four ambulances would take at least 24 shift assignments.
Now that the city is adding 12 more firefighters, people should know the full staffing plan. How will ambulance crews be filled? How many more positions are needed? And how will the department keep experienced fire crews while new recruits finish their training?
These are questions about being ready to respond, not just about how money is spent.
Back in 2022, Manfredi said he relied on talks with the police chief when deciding on staffing and budgets. In his latest letter, he says it’s important to listen to local fire representatives and plan ahead before growth puts too much strain on our resources.
This brings up an important question: How can the council make sure it always hears from both department leaders and front line workers?
Our chiefs give important leadership, but the firefighters and police officers working in our neighborhoods have real, firsthand experience. Their concerns, along with response data and outside analysis, should help guide public safety planning.
Residents deserve clear answers about current staffing levels, improvements in response times, the ambulance transition, and when new stations will open. Budgets show what the city plans to spend, but performance measures show what those investments actually achieve.
It takes time to build stations, buy equipment, hire people, and finish training. That’s why we need to plan for growth ahead of time, instead of always trying to catch up.
Public safety planning isn’t only about spending money. It’s about making sure people get help when they need it.
When that moment comes, every minute counts.
Tena Dugan
Maricopa City Council Candidate
