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Council approves initiation of Peoria fire district to serve 13 county islands; council votes 6-0
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Summary
The council voted unanimously to begin the process of creating a fire district to provide Peoria Fire Department services to 13 county‑island areas (about 1,771 parcels), an action staff said would improve response consistency, firefighter safety and cost recovery for calls in those areas.
The City Council voted to start the process of forming a Peoria fire district to serve 13 county‑island areas inside city boundaries, a measure staff said would standardize response, improve firefighter safety and help recover costs for calls now answered by Peoria crews but billed under other subscription arrangements. The motion to approve agenda item 13R passed 6‑0.
Why it matters: County islands are unincorporated parcels surrounded by the city where private subscription providers (e.g., Rural Metro, Arizona Fire & Medical Authority) have historically provided fire service. Peoria staff told council they now respond to the majority of calls in those islands and that forming a district would put those properties into a consistent service model with Peoria units as the first due resource.
Staff summary: Fire Chief Gary Bernard said Peoria has provided frequent mutual aid and subscription responses into these islands, and that operational differences with the subscription providers — different radio procedures, dispatch hold patterns and tactic variations — can delay or complicate responses. Bernard said the islands include roughly 1,771 properties and that the city recently signed an intergovernmental agreement to receive 50% of revenue collected by one provider for subscribers the city currently serves. He said subscription revenue to Peoria in the prior year totaled only a few thousand dollars compared with the full cost of engine responses.
Council action and outcome: Councilmember motioned to approve item 13R to initiate the county‑island fire district process and staff’s recommended course of action; the motion passed unanimously (6‑0). No amendments were recorded. Staff said the district would not require additional Peoria firefighters or resources at present because Peoria already responds to these calls; the cost to county‑island property owners would be a fee based on limited property value and a district mill rate to be determined during later hearings.
Next steps: Staff will research details of district boundaries, consult with affected residents and utility and subscription providers, and return to council with implementation steps and proposed fee/millage calculations. Fire staff also said they will explore additional county‑island coverage opportunities, including other unincorporated areas such as lands around Lake Pleasant.
Quote: “When these residents call 911... it’ll go to the Phoenix Fire Department for dispatch for Peoria fire units or the closest available unit in the automatic aid system,” Chief Gary Bernard said, describing current dispatch practice and why a district would clarify service and billing.
What the council did not do: Council did not adopt a final mill rate, nor did it finalize district boundaries; those items will be the subject of future staff reports and public hearings.
