Quail Creek fire station next in line, chief says

Green Valley Fire Department Chief Simon Davis educated the public and fielded a flurry of questions on the future of fire, emergency and other significant services at a community meeting last week.

When asked when the chief anticipates a new station in the Quail Creek neighborhood, he responded, “Sooner than later.”

“For part of our budget next year, we’re looking at the whole station issue,” said the chief, who added that a new station will go up in the community, foreseeable within two years.

Davis and GVFD Public Information Officer Capt. Melissa Smith laid out the structure of the department, what drives it and how it operates.

“Fire costs have raised exponentially in the last few years,” Smith said.

“We’d like to find a balance in providing the level of service you like, in theory, so we can provide you with the most cost-effective services,” Davis said.

The small crowd also had an arsenal of questions for the officials having to do with medical care.

One resident asked if there were a charge for the fire department and an ambulance to come out to your house on a call.

“There is no charge for the fire department to your house, and you won’t ever see a fee for an ambulance you don’t use,” Davis explained. “All fire services are covered by the property taxes that you pay.”

Next, residents voiced concerns about the lack of emergency care for residents in Green Valley and Sahuarita.

Davis pointed out that the nearest hospital or urgent care facility is up the road in Tucson.

“One of our biggest concerns is the construction going on around I-10—right now it already takes 30 to 40 minutes to get to a hospital—what’s going to happen with even more construction?”

One of the biggest things the fire department stresses is call 9-1-1 if there is any emergency. Don’t drive yourself to a station, or try to drive to Tucson. Let the professionals assess and take care of you.

Where do we go from here? That was the stated purpose of the meeting. Maintaining or improving response times—which currently average four minutes—as well as the hot topic of where the next fire station would go were the most prevalent issues.

The GVFD Board meets next on April 23 to discuss such budget issues.

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