The city of Phoenix took action to add additional resources to the Phoenix Fire Department during its City Council meeting on Wednesday. The council unanimously voted to allocate $7.8 million in annual funding for the creation of 58 new sworn positions in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
“The Phoenix Fire Department is very grateful to the city leadership for supporting this critical need," Phoenix Fire Chief Mike Duran added. “This will place more resources in the system that will improve response times so that we can help our residents as quickly as possible."
Some of the new positions are dedicated to Phoenix Fire's aviation and rescue unit. The others will be assigned to Phoenix Fire Station 62, that is still in the works.
“It is important to hire the staff prior to the completion of Fire Station 62 so that we can hit the ground running," Chief Duran said. “In the interim, we can benefit from the added personnel."
As the Phoenix Fire Department works to address higher call volumes as the city continues to rapidly grow, this approval will help optimize the Phoenix Fire Department's mission. That mission includes saving lives and protecting property through fire suppression, emergency med ical and transportation services, all-hazards incident management, and community risk reduction efforts.
During Wednesday's City Council meeting, Mayor Kate Gallego described the action as an “important vote" that the city needed to make. Councilwoman Ann O'Brien echoed the importance. She said, "As the city grows, we need to ensure our public safety services are adequately growing."
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