Marion Fire Department reports improved response times, seeks land for two stations

The Marion Fire Department presented its annual Standards of Cover (SOC) and strategic‑plan progress at the March 3 work session. The department reported total response time in 2025 of 8 minutes 19 seconds, a 54‑second improvement over 2023, but noted the service still falls short of benchmarks in several zones — particularly travel time from stations to parts of the city.

Department leaders said travel time — the period from unit dispatch wheels‑turning to arrival — accounts for the largest gap. A GIS‑based analysis highlighted areas where the four‑minute travel benchmark was not consistently met; the northeast planning zone was one area of concern. Staff reported unit‑hour utilization increases tied to automatic‑vehicle‑location dispatching and said those changes have helped but that planning zone 2 (a geographically large area) remains a reliability risk.

As part of the SOC recommendations, the department proposed securing land for two stations: relocation of Station 3 to optimize coverage for vulnerable populations and a new Station 4 to address northeast‑side travel‑time gaps and future development. The department recommended beginning land acquisition within the next 18 months and said station design and operating cost planning will follow.

Department leaders also reported strategic‑plan progress: of 205 tasks documented in the department’s five‑year plan, 177 (86%) are complete. The department has submitted accreditation materials and is moving toward a peer‑review site visit.

What’s next: staff will pursue land‑acquisition options and report back through the council’s capital‑planning process; any new stations will require capital and operating budget approvals.