Phoenix residents, union call for faster fire-department action after fatal house fire

A public commenter and the local firefighters’ union urged the city to accelerate investments in Phoenix Fire Department staffing and apparatus after a house fire in Arcadia that a speaker said resulted in a delayed response and a death.

“I was on that fire,” Tim Grama, executive vice president of Local 493 (firefighters union), told the hearing. Grama said adding apparatus at specific stations would “make a significant impact” on response times and firefighter safety. He thanked council members who supported the recent proposals but pressed for additional steps to meet national standards.

A resident identified in the hearing as Carla said the city’s underfunding of the fire department “resulted in the death of yet another citizen,” and described a rescue that took “nearly 18 minutes” after nearby units were busy on other calls. The speaker said the 2023 voter‑approved general obligation bond that voters passed to fund fire stations has not yet resulted in new stations going into service.

The city’s trial-budget presentation includes measures to hire additional firefighters, staff existing and new stations, and use excise-tax proceeds for two new stations and extra apparatus. The presentation also noted the March 18 council vote to raise the transaction privilege tax rate, a revenue source city staff said will help pay for programs and services.

Discussion vs. decision: Public commenters and the union urged faster implementation and staffing; the hearing recorded no new Council action on station construction or staffing during the meeting.

Ending: Union leaders and residents pressed the council to move more quickly on capital projects and staffing included in the trial budget. The trial budget’s allocations will be considered by the City Council in coming weeks.