PHOENIX — When seconds count, people calling 911 for emergency fire or EMS services in the northeastern part of Phoenix are more likely to wait longer than people in other parts of the city.
An ABC15 analysis of Phoenix Fire Department data shows response times are the longest in Phoenix City Council District 2.
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Orla Bobo lives in the district near Desert Ridge Marketplace. When the Phoenix Fire Department decided to relocate a heavy rescue truck away from her neighborhood in 2023, she started asking questions.
“How is this going to affect me, and how is it going to affect my friends, neighbors, and fellow Phoenicians?” Bobo said.
She requested records showing response times for heavy rescue trucks with specialized equipment for calls like mountain rescues, water rescues, and gas leaks.
She also noticed an even bigger concern. Response times to regular fire and EMS calls were longer in District 2 than in other parts of the city, and city data shows it has been that way for years.
“I think it's beyond a crisis,” Bobo said. “I feel like it's negligence and that the city is not properly funding public safety.”
The National Fire Protection Association publishes response time goals for fire departments across the country. The City of Phoenix’s department uses these standards.
For a critical EMS call, when first responders go to the scene of a medical emergency with lights and sirens, NFPA recommends a response time from dispatch to arrival within 5 minutes, 90% of the time.
Ken Holland, an NFPA specialist, told ABC15 that a quick response time can save lives.
“Four minutes of not breathing,” Holland said, “you could start to see long-term detrimental effects to the individual.”
While NFPA’s response time goal is 5 minutes, the response time in Phoenix’s District 2 is 8 minutes and 19 seconds for critical EMS calls. That is the worst-performing district in the city.
Phoenix’s citywide critical EMS response time is 7 minutes and 18 seconds, according to data collected by the Phoenix Fire Department for the first 10 months of 2024.
The best response times are in District 4, which is in central Phoenix, but the 6-minute and 34-second response time in that district is still more than 90 seconds longer than the NFPA goal.
"Whether it's your mom having a stroke, your dad having a heart attack, or your baby drowning in the pool, nobody should be waiting for seven minutes,” United Phoenix Firefighters President Bryan Willingham said during a May 2024 city council subcommittee meeting.
Firefighter union leaders have argued for years that the city of Phoenix failed to add fire stations and firefighter/EMTs fast enough to keep up with rapid population growth.
"I would bet money something has already happened - whether somebody died or their quality of life was impacted - because we weren't there soon enough,” Willingham said.
Phoenix Councilman Jim Waring, who represents District 2, also expressed frustration at a public meeting in early December.
“I'm trying to figure out what accounts for the horrendous response time difference,” Waring said.
Assistant Fire Chief Tim Kreis explained response time improvements are expected after the department recently expanded ambulance service hours at stations 45 and 49 along Cave Creek Road.
“Those are now full-time ambulances that went into service at the end of September, both of which are in District 2, so that will have an impact,” Kreis said.
It's still unclear how much change residents will see in response times as a result of the additional ambulance service.
A recent city bond also allocated money for new fire stations, but Councilman Waring pointed out none are in District 2.
“The citizens are not being treated the same, including me, not even close,” Waring said. “Other districts in the city are getting to use much more of the service, and they're getting a way faster response, which is really the thing that matters in this game.”
“The network of fire stations is about delivering the best service we can to the community,” Kreis responded. “Every time a new fire station gets built and coverage increases, it benefits the entire system.”
Bobo told ABC15 she met with Waring, the city manager, and the fire chief to share her concerns.
She also pointed out a city-owned lot right next to Station 45, in the middle of District 2, and she suggested this would be a prime place to build out facilities for a fire engine, ambulance, and other firefighting needs.
“I'll keep the pressure on until I see change,” Bobo said. “It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of a lot of money to get this done, but I'm not I'm not going to stop.”
The Phoenix Fire Department declined an interview with ABC15. In an email, a spokeswoman said the department "is working closely with Councilman Jim Waring’s office to address concerns with response times and the construction of future fire stations in his district." She added there are many factors in these decisions including travel time, population density, projected growth, and emergency service activity levels.
You can reach Melissa by email at melissa.blasius@abc15.com or call 602-803-2506. Follow her on X @MelissaBlasius or Facebook.