 12 years after an agreement was made, Estrella's 2nd fire station is getting closer to reality. Monday night, Goodyear lawmakers will vote on a resolution to move forward with hiring and training seven firefighters who would be stationed in Estrella. This would be for Estrella's 2nd fire station, 804 Station - a.k.a. Goodyear Fire Station 186. Goodyear's City Projects webpage shows the construction start date for this fire station is January 2019 with a budget of $5,050,000. It's estimated to be completed in December 2019. However, the fire chief tells me he expects opening in the Fall of 2019. WHY THE TIMELINE WAS MOVED UP Around 2006, the City of Goodyear, Newland, and then partner "Tousa" agreed to develop a second fire station in Estrella which was to be built and running by 2009. The economy tanked and the station was never built. It was to be constructed at Willis and Rainbow Valley Roads. In 2015, Fire Chief Luizzi addressed council about growing fire service demands throughout the City of Goodyear... and in Estrella. Over the next few months, he explained to council City triggers and thresholds which would cause the construction of an additional fire station in Estrella. At one point, Estrella 2nd fire station was not to be operational until 2025! Link Tragically, on March 26, 2016, an Estrella family found themselves the victims of a house fire early Easter morning. Their dog, Daisy, lost her life. The Estrella community pulled together raising over $20,000 in money and donations for the family. West Valley Families studied the response times for the house fire and reported on what really happened here. And the results left us asking... "What can we afford? We hope it's not lives."  At the Estrella house fire on March 27, 2016 - 9 minutes into the alarm - just 5 fire people were at the scene. Goodyear was first to respond at 8 minutes and 10 seconds. The national standard recommended 15 people weren’t on scene until 14 minutes and 58 seconds into the alarm. That’s 5 minutes and 58 seconds later than the NFPA 1710 standard. In June 2016, we were tipped that the City's agreement with local developers had lapsed. Our sources told us the agreement was "allowed to expire" and that funding for a second fire station was not in place. Report here. At the June 27, 2016 meeting, City Manager Brian Dalke revealed he spoke with a Newland representative just that week. And talking to Bill Olsen this week, there has been an understanding that the bones of an agreement are in place. It can be argued some of those elements may or may not apply. The fact of the matter is one of the partners - if you will - back to the earlier agreement is no longer there. So CantaMia for example - is AV Homes - will be part of any discussions.” ~GOODYEAR CITY MANAGER BRIAN DALKE, JUNE 27, 2016 THE CITY KEPT BUILDING During all of this, City lawmakers continued to approve building permits in the Estrella community.
We've lost count for more permits since we last checked. But, drive into Estrella and you'll see the tremendous amount of construction from Star Tower down through Montecito. Additionally, in Spring 2016, Goodyear City Council participated in a work session to discuss the FY17-26 Capital Improvement Program. About half way through the meeting, the presentation turned to "General Funded Programs - Projects Requests." City staff initially recommends fire stations be listed on deferral for future impact fees. We added fire stations to your list simply because of your recent conversations just to put it up here and let you know it’s on our radar… but that we know the study is pending and we’ll wait for that project. ~Lauri Wingenroth, Budget and Research Manager Priorities ahead of fire stations, listed at that meeting, included a recreation center and aquatics facility and ANOTHER STUDY TO THE TUNE OF $100,000 to find out where to place the train park. Coincidentally, Goodyear lawmakers also will hear a report this Monday night for the Recreation Campus Master Plan. Link KJZZ's Matthew Casey reported Goodyear taxpayers spent roughly $53,000 on a study to determine future fire service needs in Goodyear. The report was delivered in December 2016. Council called into question the study's metrics for the Estrella community... which led to a call for information about the lapsed developer agreement for the Estrella fire station. CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES In January 2016, Council quizzed the fire chief about a variety of ways to add service in Estrella without building a full fire station. We could do something smaller or different, could we not? ~Wally Campbell, City Councilmember
What would be the cost to add... a truck... or add additional personnel to the station we have? ~(Then) Vice Mayor Sheri Lauritano Councilmember Sheri Lauritano is an Estrella resident. She also said she was in Estrella and heard and saw the Easter morning fire which took place after this meeting. Adding just a two-man crew to the current station would be a "clock stopper" move. They'd be first to arrive. Because they'd be medical... they wouldn't be able to help on a structure fire at all. "So you're still waiting the time for additional support to come," states Fire Chief Luizzi. Even if you just put in a two-man crew, you still have a time and distance issue south of Ray Road. ~Fire Chief Luizzi Council member Bill Stipp has a great deal of knowledge on this topic and provided some thoughtful input that seemingly put this discussion on track. We know based on years and years of study that a two-person EMS companies are not nearly as effective as four-person EMS companies. So when we're talking about delivering service, what we're really talking about is just getting somebody there. That's it... Let's ask ourselves, 'What level of service do we want to provide?' If we want to provide just band-aids and a rub on the shoulder or rub your back, then two people is the way to go. If we want to provide advance life support, we need to be all in. ~Councilmember Bill Stipp LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION  In March, we reported a fire "team" reviewed the two potential locations for the Estrella fire station. Location #1: Rainbow Valley Road and Willis Road (Station No. 804) - Identified by Goodyear Fire
In addition to saving half a million dollars, a compelling reason Goodyear Fire wants the station be built on the original site location is due to convenience. "...the team evaluated turning movements to and from the site, access to the frontage and surrounding roadways, new short-term and long-term development of the area and proximity to other city facilities and infrastructure." Goodyear Staff Report JEN'S TWO CENTS Seeing Monday night's resolution on the Council agenda is encouraging. I'm proud to see the City of Goodyear keep this a priority along with the other needed fire stations throughout the city. Between fire stations, the rec campus, and water conservation, Monday night should be a good night for residents in this All-America City. OUR FIRE COVERAGE To get up to speed on what we've covered so far, please visit these links:
Recreation & Fire Services in Estrella: March 5, 2018 Estrella's 2nd Fire Station Could Be One Step Closer to Reality: February 26, 2017 Teamwork Will Bring Additional Fire Service to Estrella: January 24, 2017 Fire Service Future in Lawmakers' Hands: December 8, 2016 Patient Care Coordination Update: September 18, 2016 Waiting Game: July 11, 2016 CantaMia Growth and Fire Service Demands: July 10, 2016 Estrella House Fire Response Times: June 29, 2016 Goodyear Under Fire: June 28, 2016 Fire Station Funding: March 17, 2016 Triggers, Thresholds, and Fire Service Demands: March 10, 2016 Saving Lives, City Budgets, and Growth in Estrella: January 26, 2016 Community Paramedicine: December 2015 Goodyear City Council Work Session Recap PICKLEBALL OPPORTUNITIES Goodyear Parks and Rec Director David Seid admitted the department missed the ball and "the original scope and associated budget request were grossly underestimated" regarding pickleball courts. The City Staff Report states, "As a result, staff evaluated and identified the existing sport court area within the park as the ideal location for the pickleball facility. Staff determined that a modification of the existing courts could retain existing amenities as well as accommodate a new pickleball facility." And, "... staff explored an additional option (1) to accommodate adult softball play within Foothills Community Park. Staff determined that an expansion of an existing youth sized baseball field to an adult sized field could continue to accommodate youth baseball, as well as youth and adult softball. Adding additional user groups to the field does not impact current users as the scheduled use times do not conflict. Little League, the primary user of the facility, fully supports this option." Seid provided a couple of options about moving forward with pickleball courts and it appears Council is leaning toward Option 1... a $130,500 additional cost to complete ball field options at a total of $448,500. ESTRELLA FIRE STATION As we blogged last week, Goodyear Fire is looking at building Estrella's 2nd fire station at a previously dedicated site of Rainbow Valley and Willis Roads. As you may recall, a $53,000 fire station conducted by a foreign company identified Estrella Parkway and Willis Road as the most optimal location for a new fire station. During tonight's work session, it appeared Council is in agreement the Willis Road location will be the new home for the new fire station.
In 2016, I asked Council to delay construction of Lucero until additional fire services were in place. Estrella is a linear community and when one part of the community is stretched further... as Lucero will do... it puts additional strain on safety services. Goodyear already has 17+ minute response times to parts of CantaMia per the fire study. Now that construction is well underway at Lucero, I want to know what these two timelines look like today. Will a new fire station be up and running before the first family moves into Lucero? Goodyear's newest city manager, Julie Arendall, said the City would respond to me at a future date. THE NEW RESTAURANT AT THE PRESIDIO Also on the agenda tonight was a Series 12 Liquor License for Beach House Food and Spirit. Amy Jo Schlecht is the applicant for Beach House Food and Spirits which will operate in Estrella's Presidio Residents Club. MY TWO CENTS Tonight's Regular City Council Meeting was mostly attended by City staff.
The meeting ran late due to additional meetings... but residents are always invited to attend and get involved. Council won't know what resident needs are unless you go and speak up.  Opinion Piece by Jen Barber, Goodyear Resident No doubt Goodyear is growing quickly. It seems mid-Goodyear is the center of a lot of action this week. Mid-Goodyear has seen land sales well over appraisal price and we've taken a look at taxpayer dollars being spent here. HYBRID LEASED NEW-HOME OPTIONS COMING TO GOODYEAR
LET'S GO FOR A WALK DOWN VAN BUREN...
GOODYEAR MUNICIPAL COMPLEX LAND FOR LEASE OR SALE? Monday, June 5, 2017 During a Goodyear City Council Special meeting, Council convened into a private, Executive Session to "discuss leasing or selling City-owned real estate." Council also was to "discuss the City's position on negotiations for the lease of portions of GMC" or - what we can guess - is the Goodyear Municipal Complex. We say "guess" because the discussions are not made public and we were unable to confirm from the City if "GMC" is the GMC we know to be the Goodyear Municipal Complex. (If there's another GMC in Goodyear we've overlooked, please contact us.) However, if the City is looking to sell or lease portions of the land in the Goodyear Municipal Complex, it could be quite interesting. From what we understand, the City of Goodyear agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars OVER the appraisal price of the land which we know as the Goodyear Municipal Complex just two years ago. Let's back up a minute. In December 2014, Goodyear City Council unanimously voted to approve the purchase of approximately 7 acres of property at $4 per square foot. We went back through City records and found the following discussion and staff notes on this.
Goodyear's municipal complex is the area near Van Buren Street and Bullard Avenue. It's home to the Goodyear Library, Police Department, 911 Center, Court, Fire Department, etc.
The 911 Center property was purchased in late 2012. This additional 7 acres - approved in December 2014 - was needed to build the new, and quite frankly much needed, police department. At the December 2014 Council Meeting, the City said it evaluated a number of sites and scored the properties against the needs and wants of the City being…
This team who chose this property also kept the Council’s priorities in mind when selecting this property. The criteria included
This location scored highest based on its transportation corridors and connectivity north and south in the city. Linda Beals, the Real Estate Coordinator for the City of Goodyear said they went back and forth in negotiations several times with the seller, “The bottom line was, what we were able to come up with, was a negotiated sales price of $4 a square foot.” Beals says the sales price was within the range of sales within the City. The closing costs were estimated at another $10-15,000. Beals stated the huge savings on this property was the infrastructure. Some of it had already been brought in by surrounding developments. COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE PURCHASE PRICE The appraisal was $3.00 per square foot with a total amount of $915,000. And we negotiated a $4.00 per square foot?” ~Councilmember Campbell Councilmember Stipp said - at the time in 2014 - they were hearing from businesses that the rents are higher in Goodyear. “But, so is the quality of the community and quality of the centers they buy and etc.” Mayor Lord said it "makes sense" to acquire this land adjacent to existing city properties. "It actually is at the request of our citizens. When we did the City Center plans, the residents were very clear that they did not want the police department or any other facility near the City Hall. They wanted them in their own complex. And although we would all like to see it at a lesser price, but that’s market, and you have to say, “Hooray for Goodyear” that we are at market because that’s the market that’s attracting homes and businesses," comments Mayor Lord. THE GOODYEAR "GOLD MINE" Given the developments this week, it seems the seller was right. The location is a "gold mine" and expansion of the area is happening quickly. We do not know why the City wants to potentially sell this land. Of course, would the City get its money back on this land? We'd assume so... giving the NexMetro sale went for $4.19 per square foot. But, it's anyone's guess. And... that's assuming "GMC" under discussion is the Goodyear Municipal Complex. (For clarity, we are only guessing Monday's discussion of GMC was in regards to the Goodyear Municipal Complex. Goodyear would not confirm this.) RISING TAXES? The notice shows Goodyear intends to raise its Primary Property Taxes by 2%. THIS PROPOSED INCREASE IS EXCLUSIVE OF INCREASED PRIMARY PROPERTY TAXES RECEIVED FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION. THE INCREASE IS ALSO EXCLUSIVE OF ANY CHANGES THAT MAY OCCUR FROM PROPERTY TAX LEVIES FOR VOTER APPROVED BONDED INDEBTEDNESS OR BUDGET AND TAX OVERRIDES. ~City of Goodyear JEN'S TWO CENTS This spring, voters re-elected Mayor Lord. Councilmembers Pizzillo and Campbell are going into their 3rd four-year terms. And Brannon Hampton was elected in a runoff to fill outgoing Councilmember Sharolyn Hohman's seat. The inauguration is Monday, June 12th. We wish them all the best. We should note, Hampton's challenger Sara Gilligan went to Council on June 5th speaking in favor of moving City elections to the same election cycle as the State of Arizona. Those are held in the fall of even numbered years. This has been discussed at length in the City of Goodyear over the years. In 2011, the Goodyear Votes grassroots group pushed for Goodyear to move its election cycle to no avail. I have no horse in this race. But, I will say, running for Council as a candidate can be outrageously expensive. (We found candidates in the spring election for Goodyear City Council spent anywhere from $7,000 to $14,000. That's for a job that only pays $9,2000 a year.) And the cost to the taxpayers for spring elections is questionable. So, I'll grab my popcorn and wait for the City's response on Gilligan's request. An attractive city needs landscape improvements, art, and all those pretty things. But, $240,000 for library and City Hall hardscape and landscaping improvements seems high. With the dire need for fire stations in Goodyear, I'd like to see the City reserve more funds to get these projects completed first. The Goodyear Capital Improvement Plan shows funding for the much needed station in west Goodyear not kicking in till 2021-22. Parks are nice. But, I'd like to see more priority for funding safety first. Just my two cents. For some historical reading regarding the land around the Goodyear Ballpark: Link
Estrella Mountain Residents is happy to report an agreement is now in place to locate and build Estrella's much needed second fire station. This comes after more than a year of reporting on City work sessions and council meetings regarding demands for fire service in our community... and after a devastating house fire leaving one Estrella family homeless on Easter morning 2016. THE BACKSTORY IN A NUTSHELL The City of Goodyear, Newland, and then partner "Tousa" agreed to develop a second fire station in Estrella which was to be built and running by 2009. The economy tanked and the station was never built. It was to be constructed at Willis and Rainbow Valley Roads. The City of Goodyear actually still owns that land. In 2015, Fire Chief Luizzi addressed council about growing fire service demands throughout the City of Goodyear... and in Estrella. Over the next few months, he explained to council City triggers and thresholds which would cause the construction of an additional fire station in Estrella. I think it's important to remind our readers that when the Fire Chief was to present in January 2016, his presentation was interrupted so many times that he was unable to finish. We asked that the City give him the opportunity to address Council once again with a full report. He was given that opportunity and fully explained the triggers and thresholds criteria - a good read if you want to fully understand what's happening in Estrella. EASTER MORNING FIRE Tragically, an Estrella family found themselves the victims of a house fire on Easter morning. Their dog, Daisy, lost her life. The Estrella community pulled together raising over $20,000 in money and donations for the family. Estrella Mountain Residents studied the response times for the house fire and reported on what really happened here. And the results left us asking... "What can we afford? We hope it's not lives."  At the Estrella house fire on March 27, 2016 - 9 minutes into the alarm - just 5 fire people were at the scene. Goodyear was first to respond at 8 minutes and 10 seconds. The national standard recommended 15 people weren’t on scene until 14 minutes and 58 seconds into the alarm. That’s 5 minutes and 58 seconds later than the NFPA 1710 standard. THE AGREEMENT In June 2016, we were tipped that the City's agreement with local developers had lapsed. Our sources told us the agreement was "allowed to expire" and that funding for a second fire station was not in place. Report here. At the June 27, 2016 meeting, City Manager Brian Dalke revealed he spoke with a Newland representative just that week. And talking to Bill Olsen this week, there has been an understanding that the bones of an agreement are in place. It can be argued some of those elements may or may not apply. The fact of the matter is one of the partners - if you will - back to the earlier agreement is no longer there. So CantaMia for example - is AV Homes - will be part of any discussions.” ~GOODYEAR CITY MANAGER BRIAN DALKE, JUNE 27, 2016 During all of this, City lawmakers continued to approve building permits in the Estrella community.
A RESIDENT PETITION In June, Estrella Mountain Residents started a petition. The residents of Estrella in Goodyear, Arizona respectfully request the City of Goodyear prioritize funding for Fire Station 186 sooner than the current timeline." ~iPETITIONS, JUNE 2016 Our goal was 250 signatures in a short time prior to a Goodyear City Council meeting. We surpassed 300 signatures and delivered it to Council. Residents chimed in.... The city manager along with the city council should save 65,000 dollars of our citizens tax dollars and allow the IAFF get the free study done and put that money to use for other more critical needs of the city. Please build Fire Station 186 city of Goodyear for the protection you want your tax paying citizens pay for. Amen! Overdue for 2nd fire station in Estrella. Safety for the residents of Esteella should come long before the proposed park. Let's roll!! We are definitely in need of another fire station in Estrella. The study has already been done, new homes are being started everyday. Please do not make someone lose their life or their home before we "git ur done"!!! Goodyear is constantly growing and if the trucks out there are on other calls when an emergency arises, the trucks in my area (Yuma and Sarival) would have to respond, leaving us unattended. TAXPAYER FUNDED STUDY
SEEING IS BELIEVING The taxpayer funded fire study reports the optimal location for a second Estrella fire station would not be at the current designation of Willis and Rainbow Valley Roads... but rather near Estrella Parkway and Willis Road. So, the 3 party agreement covers Capital Contributions, as well.
NOW WE WAIT The City of Goodyear must give a 180 day notice of intent to begin design with Capital Contributions. Because the action item was not on last night's meeting, the City was unable to give that notice. In fact, the City Attorney signaled it could be a couple more months before that action was taken... possibly around budget discussions. Members of the Council expressed desire to move up that timeline. Councilmember Stipp said, "June is too long to wait." It does appear the Council wants to get the construction of Estrella's second fire station going sooner rather than later. RESIDENTS ARE PART OF THE "TEAM" I was stunned to hear Council say, "Leadership made it happen." Council members patted themselves, staff, and developers on the back for making this agreement come together. However, it was Mayor Lord who acknowledged the citizens of this All-America City had an impact, as well. .. and also I want to compliment the citizens. They weighed in on this, made a little noise, told us how important it is, and that helps council make decisions, too. It’s a team effort and thank you very much." ~MAYOR GEORGIA LORD, January 23, 2017 THE VOTE A vote for a first Amendment to Development and Fire Service Agreement between the City of Goodyear, NNP III-Estrella Mountain Ranch, LLC and AV Homes of Arizona passed 7-0. In Attendance: Mayor Georgia Lord Vice Mayor Sheri Lauritano Councilmember Pizzillo Councilmember Campbell Councilmember Hohman Attending by Phone: Councilmember Stipp Councilmember Osborne Jen's Two Cents: This past year of reporting on this issue has been well worth the effort. I've learned a lot about the process... and I've learned a lot about the people who make the laws in our city. I stand behind all of my reporting despite public criticism and push back by two city leaders. Estrella needs a voice to make positive change. I'll continue to monitor fire service in Estrella as it's a moral obligation for our elected leaders to provide this basic service for us... and for generations to come. ~Jen Barber/Estrella Resident
Blog and opinion piece by: Jen Barber, Estrella Resident When a child is found at the bottom of a pool... seconds count. When a loved one is in cardiac arrest... seconds count. When you're having trouble breathing after a bee sting... seconds count. Odds of survival increase when a patient has quick care. That quick care can be dependent on response times by fire departments and EMS crews. For the past year, I've been following fire service demands and concerns being presented at Goodyear City Council meetings. Media resources have dwindled in the west Valley and I feel it important to hold our lawmakers accountable. Tragically, a friend's home burned down on Easter morning in Estrella which sparked my closer attention. And all the while, city council continues to approve construction in the Estrella community.
Portions of Estrella currently may not have the same luxury. Goodyear's own data show fire/EMS crews can exceed national standard response times to the Montecito and CantaMia communities in Estrella. By national standards, the response times to the Easter morning house fire in Estrella was more than 3 minutes too late, as well. That's not acceptable. After a series of work sessions and in an effort to determine when to build new stations and where they should be located, the City of Goodyear hired a foreign company, ORH, out of England to study local fire service demands.  I've read the 210 page report and believe it's important for residents to understand what's in it. Below is a brief synopsis. While long, it's an eye opening report. I'm most fascinated by the amount of growth about to occur in the southern portion of our All-America City. That expansive growth will create new and unique demands on city services. The results of this study leave me wondering if it would it be better to build now and grow into the stations rather than wait another 8-10 years as recommended by ORH fire study. But, that decision now falls in the hands of our lawmakers. Note: The Goodyear City Council will learn more about this fire station study during a work session on Monday, December 12th. You can attend the meeting or watch it online beginning at 4pm. ABOUT ORH - A FOREIGN COMPANY STUDYING LOCAL NEEDS  ORH is the organization the City of Goodyear hired to conduct the study. It's a management consulting agency located in the United Kingdom. ORH is the trading name of Operational Research in Health Limited and registered as a company in England. Its website states, “We are committed to getting it right, for the good of our clients and the people who rely on their services.” Regarding ORH, the City of Goodyear states: ORH, Inc. began their work on the Goodyear Fire Station Study in late August 2016. They collected incident data; analyzed current demand; reviewed historical trends; made site visits and assessed other factors to formulate the recommendations found in the 2016 Fire Station Study. The report was finalized on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. This company is no stranger to Arizona. In 2015, ORH completed its first USA contract for the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department. They looked at the distribution of fire stations. The 10-year plan resulted in recommending splitting an existing fire station into two new sites, adding a station in an area with high demand and development, and relocating stations “at the end of their functional viability.” THE COST TO TAXPAYERS - YOU PAID FOR IT Goodyear taxpayers spent roughly $53,000 as reported by KJZZ and reporter Mattew Casey. If you recall, I reported through this Estrella Mountain Residents blog in July, city staff estimated the fire study would be completed by October and presented to council. But, if you look at our reporting, the need for a fire study was first discussed in February, 2016. And the discussion over whether Estrella was in need of a second fire station was presented in January 2016. Council had a rough idea of where two new stations should be placed. So the questions was "why" hire someone to tell the city what it may have already known. This spring, Councilmember Bill Stipp asked Fire Chief Paul Luizzi what the real purpose would be of conducting a study. To establish the proper location for stations. To establish the proper response and trigger threshold for construction of new stations. And really what we should be using now as our current response time, goals, benchmarks, and baselines, as we start to move forward and kinda see the city in a light of the way it’s being constructed now.” ~Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi So, if we’ve already identified twice now what the locations are based on the projected growth… I’m having a difficult time seeing what a third study is going to tell us that we don’t already know regarding the location of the stations.” Councilmember Bill Stipp Chief Luizzi defended the reason for the study. Is it valuable looking at the current station locations and are they in the right spots? And our future plan’s growth - are we currently going in the right areas?” ~Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi ESTRELLA FIRE STATION HISTORY Estrella's Fire Station 182 - the station just near Estrella Mountain Church - started out as a temporary awning in the mid-1990s and was formally constructed and completed in 2003. This additional station was originally planned for 2008.
With pressure on response times throughout the city, a work session held with Goodyear City Council in JANUARY 2016 - 11 months ago - was put on the agenda to again discuss the construction of a second fire station in Estrella... Fire Station 186.
EASTER MORNING HOUSE FIRE  Who could have predicted last spring - while council discussed the need for fire stations - what would eventually happen on Easter morning? A devastating house fire burned down a local family’s Estrella home and killed their pet dog, Daisy. In June, we analyzed response times to the Easter house fire in Estrella and compared the numbers to the national standards. The Easter morning fire in Estrella was within the current Estrella fire station’s boundaries. The Estrella house fire alarm was called at 2:10:21am on March 27, 2016. At the 5 minute mark, no one was on scene. In fact, the first personnel arrived at 8 minutes and 10 seconds after the alarm. According to the NFPA 1710 standard, that’s 3 minutes and 10 seconds late. You can read more about that fire here. Estrella Mountain Residents led the effort to pull the Estrella community together. Quickly the effort raised more than $20,000 in funds and donations for the Estrella family. They now wait for their home to be rebuilt. MORE ROOFTOPS. MORE DEMANDS ON CALL VOLUME. Despite the Estrella house fire and continued work session discussions, construction in Estrella has continued and been given the green light by council on more than one occasion.  Twice this summer, Goodyear City Council approved more rooftops to be built in Estrella despite concerns about fire service. On August 18th, Goodyear City Council voted to approve a Preliminary Plat adding 44 homes on Estrella Parkway south of Polaris Drive. They say it was an administrative obligation and they had no other reason to reject it. June 27th, Goodyear City Council approved the Lucero development going up near Star Tower. I attended the meeting and asked for a stipulation authorizing the construction of a fire station prior to approving this community to build. The request was rejected. TRIGGERS, THRESHOLDS, AND FIRE SERVICE DEMANDS In a blog, I requested the fire chief be given a second chance to discuss fire station needs after a debacle of a meeting in January. In February he got a second chance. Goodyear’s Chief Paul Luizzi, thoroughly explained the triggers and thresholds for building new fire stations through the city. He also discussed where the need currently is for improved fire service. In 2015, 58% of the calls to Montecito and CantaMia communities were reportedly MORE than 8 minutes from Fire Station 182. Calls increased 34% from 2014 to 2015 with a total number of calls to these southern villages being 147 annually. More than half of those calls were for EMS, not fire. Additionally, Buckeye Valley Fire District responded to 24 of these calls with a response time of 9 minutes and 58 seconds.  As shown here, the ORH fire study delivered to council this week backs up those numbers showing "hot spots" for response times.  This map shows current response times to portions of Montecito and CantaMia are over 11 minutes. HOT SPOTS - WHERE THE DEMAND IS The needs and types of calls vary throughout the city. Fire incidents take place more often in the central area of Goodyear, whereas EMS incidents are more common in the north. Hazmat has relatively few calls. And service calls are apparently high on W Indian School Road near the PebbleCreek Parkway.  Additional findings: MOST RESPONSES: STATION 184 BUSIEST STATIONS: 181 AND 183 Now, take a close look at this next blue graphic we found within the ORH fire study. In the south portion of Goodyear, average Effective Response Force or response times within 9 minutes are at 0%. The average ERF fire response time in the total area is at 17 minutes and 51 seconds.  The report states, "While the performance impacts are notable city-wide, the local effects can be more substantial. As the city grows to the west and the south, 'new' incidents in these areas would receive the longest response times." HOW THE RESULTS WERE FORMED You can download the entire report here.
ORH, the company which conducted the fire study, visited with the Goodyear Fire Department in the first week of the study. Our local fire department provided a "number of data sources for incident and response data." Then, ORH completed "a data cleansing exercise and discussed appropriate assumptions" with the Goodyear Fire Department. ORH calibrated travel times against actual journeys and worked to ensure the simulation model was "reflective of the real-life behavior of" Goodyear Fire's vehicles. ORH also reports it completed "sensitivity modeling" around station locations taking into account future demand rates and automatic aid. In fact, ORH "assessed the responses by GFD vehicles into neighboring departments and vice-versa." KEY FINDINGS Key findings for Goodyear Fire Service city-wide are as follows:
These changes would deliver substantial improvements to response performance compared to a 'do nothing' position. ~ORH ORH writes, "The demand increase is primarily associated with medical incidents, however Hazmat and Good Intent calls also increased." Service calls actually has decreased. The peak demand for service is reportedly between 10am and 10pm, with .85-.95 calls per hour. Incidents occuring at night are higher on weekends. SOUTH GOODYEAR WILL EXPLODE IN GROWTH ORH turned to MAG (Maricopa Association of Governments) data to project the future resident population. ... the resident population in Goodyear is expected to more than double from 2015 (77,800) to 2035 (167,360) ... The expected increases to population vary significantly between the reporting areas," ~ORH  MAG projections also show the number of people over age 65 will have tripled by the year 2035. Currently 15% of Goodyear's residents are over 65. In 2035, 21% of the population will be 65+. Why does this matter? Because this population has higher demands for EMS service. By 2035, "it is expected EMS demand in the South reporting area will have nearly reached the same level as the North..." CHANGES TO CURRENT STATIONS Fire Station 181 is located on the northwest corner of Yuma and Litchfield Roads in Goodyear. Because of environmental concerns, the building has been closed. Given the building condition of Station 181, GFD identified a pressing need to evaluate potential options for relocating the station. ~ORH Interestingly, Station 181 has the quickest average Crew Response time to all incidents in Goodyear. One option for Station 181 includes just redistributing this station's vehicles to other stations.
Recommended: Relocating Fire Station 181 to Litchfield and Van Buren and have it operational by the year 2019. The optimal location is Litchfield and Van Buren Roads. BUILDING OF NEW FIRE STATIONS IN WEST AND SOUTH GOODYEAR In terms of planning, ORH assessed different options requiring the following changes to the station configuration:
The new sites in West and South Goodyear would provide substantial improvements to response times in their respective local areas." ~ORH Fire Study OPTIMAL LOCATION FOR ESTRELLA'S FUTURE STATIONThis optimal location actually moves the future station east of what Goodyear originally had projected. Remember, Goodyear planned on placing it at Willis and Rainbow Valley Roads. Now, it's being recommended for building at Willis along the Estrella Parkway.   SHOW ME THE MONEY What’s been most disappointing is to find out the agreement to help fund a second fire station in Estrella was, as reported by our source, “Allowed to Expire.” On June 27th, the Goodyear city manager mentioned the city was in negotiations with Newland and AV Homes to re-negotiate the developer agreement to get funding for station 186 in the works.... and it appears fire stations may be in the FY18 budget. And talking to Bill Olsen [Newland Communities] this week, there has been an understanding that the bones of an agreement are in place. It can be argued some of those elements may or may not apply. The fact of the matter is one of the partners - if you will - back to the earlier agreement is no longer there. So CantaMia for example - is AV Homes - will be part of any discussions.” ~Brian Dalke, Goodyear City Manager, June 27, 2016 Of course, speculation on funding came before the results of this study. This study says to wait for a station in Estrella. What will lawmakers do? THE PEOPLE WANT PARKS In March, Goodyear City Council participated in a work session to discuss the FY17-26 Capital Improvement Program. About half way through the meeting, the presentation turned to "General Funded Programs - Projects Requests." City staff initially recommends fire stations be listed on deferral for future impact fees. We added fire stations to your list simply because of your recent conversations just to put it up here and let you know it’s on our radar… but that we know the study is pending and we’ll wait for that project. ~Lauri Wingenroth, Budget and Research Manager Priorities ahead of fire stations, listed at that meeting, included a recreation center and aquatics facility and ANOTHER STUDY TO THE TUNE OF $100,000 to find out where to place the train park. CITY'S NEXT STEPS REGARDING FIRE SERVICE THE CITY OF GOODYEAR SPELLS OUT NEXT STEPS AS: Monday, Dec. 12 – Staff and consultant will present to City Council the results of the study at the Goodyear Municipal Complex Justice Center, 14455 W. Van Buren Street, in a public work session beginning at 4 p.m. City Council will discuss the study, options, and next steps related to this data analysis. The 2016 Fire Station study is one of several pieces of data that will be considered through the capital improvement planning process to ensure that the short and long-term needs of the city are met through responsible planning and prioritization of all capital projects and new services. Oct. – Dec. 2016
JEN'S TWO CENTS Estrella's next fire station appears to be on hold for quite some time if this study's recommendation is taken into consideration. However, it's difficult to overlook response times, the projected growth patterns, and average age of future residents in south Goodyear. Is it prudent to wait?
Finally, candidate nomination papers for the Goodyear City Council 2017 spring election are due on November 14th. I previously advocated for more residents to run for council who live south of I-10. But, the fact is, all council members are to advocate for residents in all neighborhoods of the city. I do not give my vote to candidates simply based on where they live. All council members should be involved and concerned about what's happening throughout the city. *My vote also will be based on who's been attending meetings and their knowledge base on important issues such as this. The budget will be discussed during the spring election season. It will be several years before our city is split into districts. Goodyear's City Charter states: When the population reaches 150,000 as certified by a Decennial Census or a special census conducted for the purpose of determining the population of the City, the Mayor and Council shall divide the City into six (6) electoral districts not less than six (6) months after the certification of such census. Each electoral district shall be compact and contiguous, but shall be as nearly equal in population as possible. I am hoping Monday night's presentation to council will be well run. If the presenter can get through the information without interruption, it would be easiest to understand and follow.
We'll be watching.
PREVIOUS REPORTS Make no mistake about it, the West Valley is no longer getting the local government coverage it once had. This concerns us. And that's why we feel we have a responsibility to keep Estrella residents informed. To get up to speed on what we've covered so far, please visit these links: Waiting Game: July 11, 2016 CantaMia Growth and Fire Service Demands: July 10, 2016 Estrella House Fire Response Times: June 29, 2016 Goodyear Under Fire: June 28, 2016 Fire Station Funding: March 17, 2016 Triggers, Thresholds, and Fire Service Demands: March 10, 2016 Saving Lives, City Budgets, and Growth in Estrella: January 26, 2016 Community Paramedicine: December 2015 You will not find this extensive coverage anywhere else. SEPTEMBER 2016 UPDATEInfo from staff notes here. Goals of the paramedicine program are: The pilot project staff goals are; reducing the burden on the 911 system, creating more fiscal responsibility with tax payer dollars, decreasing unnecessary emergency room visits, opportunities for regional collaboration to maximize resources and creating a public/private partnership. New info: On June 1, 2016 the department was notified it received a service agreement for a regional pilot project for $120,000. Fiscal Analysis for 1 calendar year: The pilot project is supplied by Phoenix Health Plan Inc. who is owned by Tenet Healthcare and requires no match by the city. The grant will fund the development of training programs, provider training and the actual process of meeting with patients in the different cities. Salary costs and other associated equipment costs will be covered under the grant for all of the participating cities. THE COST PER CALL IS $270 USING A FOUR-PERSON RESPONSE CREW. See the city work session and review meeting minutes here.       ESTRELLA FIRE STATION UPDATE
COUNCIL RETREAT These issues will be discussed at the Goodyear City Council annual retreat. The public is welcome to attend to listen. OCTOBER 21 - 22, 2016 Goodyear Justice Center JEN'S TAKE Mayor Lord is doing a great job allowing the fire chief give his full presentations before council members start asking questions and interrupting. These meetings are so much easier to follow and understand.
We sincerely ask local media outlets to start paying attention and reporting on these issues. Resident tax dollars and livelihoods are on the line. ~jen  Roughly 500 people attended the United Goodyear Firefighters L4005 annual 9-11 Memorial Ceremony this morning at Fire Station No. #183. The annual event honored the fallen on the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks which took the lives of civilians, firefighters, police officers and military personnel in the largest domestic act of terrorism on American soil in modern history.
Fire Chief Luizzi, Mayor Georgia Lord, and council members Hohman and Pizzillo also send their thanks and appreciation to the people of Estrella. The admins of Estrella Mountain Residents are sincerely grateful to the local businesses and caring residents who help us make it possible for our community to give to others. I am beyond humbled that, with relatively little organization, we can do so much good in the community. Thank you. ~jen  Estrella Mountain Residents Charity Donation to the United Goodyear Firefighters - 9.11.16 LOCAL BUSINESSES MAKING TODAY'S DONATION POSSIBLE ARE:  ALSO OF NOTE:
I was so impressed with their professionalism and knowledge. Very nice people and I'm hoping to learn more about this group. Explorers and the VIPS, Volunteers in Police Service, were all in attendance to lend a helping hand today! If you missed the event, you really missed out on this educational opportunity. Residents were able to meet with fire personnel and check out fire trucks, the police department's Special Assignment Unit, meet Sparky, and watch the fire department demo a vehicle extrication. We'll be sure to keep you posted on future community events!
  Explorers explaining the Police Department's Special Assignments Unite
 Vehicle Extrication Demonstration  Photo Courtesy: Emma Barber  Photo Courtesy: Emma Barber
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Barber is a Goodyear resident resident of almost 20 years and a retired broadcast news journalist. Involved in various nonprofit and city organizations since 2008, Barber has a unique view of what's happening in the West Valley of Arizona. 
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