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Council discusses rising fire call volume, mutual aid and exploring civilian staff for nonemergency responses
Summary
Council members and staff discussed high call volumes for the fire department, recent mutual aid responses by Fort Huachuca, plans to staff Station 4, and exploration of civilian personnel to handle nonemergency or administrative fire calls.
Council members discussed recent increases in fire-department call volume and explored options to reduce routine operational workload on sworn firefighters.
Councilmember Rodriguez noted recent high call volumes and observed a Fort Huachuca engine responding inside city limits over a recent weekend, telling the council: "So, I'm assuming that the calls were dumped everywhere if Fort Huachuca had to come respond with their engine, for a fire." Chief Jones and Deputy Chief Deaver were cited by staff as participants in conversations about alternatives to free up sworn personnel.
City staff reported they have talked with Chief Jones and Deputy Chief Deaver about a possible civilian program—similar to existing community service officer roles in the police department—to handle nonemergency and administrative fire responses. The city said that program is being explored as a potential way to reduce routine call load on firefighters.
Council members also reiterated ongoing plans to staff Station 4 and discussed the broader need to balance call volume with available apparatus. No formal staffing action or budget decision was made at the meeting; staff said the civilian option and staffing plans will be evaluated further.
