County island residents push for Queen Creek fire district
by Kathleen Stinson - Sept. 10, 2012 10:54 AM
Special for The Republic | azcentral.com
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Residents on unincorporated Maricopa County islands within Queen Creek who want emergency services provided by the Queen Creek Fire Department have about 626 of the required 1,050 signatures needed to form a fire district. The group needs signatures from 51 percent of the property owners and must get them in about the next five months to achieve its goal. Currently, Rural/Metro Fire Department, a private company serving the Valley, provides emergency services to the county islanders. |
About eight months ago, residents started looking into changing their emergency-services provider.
Two years ago, Rural/Metro moved one of its fire trucks temporarily housed at a station in Chandler Heights, about 6 miles east of its new station at Ocotillo and Meridian roads. This increased the distance emergency vehicles must travel to the county islands. Some residents say they began to see their homeowners' insurance rates increase, and in some cases double.
An estimated 4,000 residents live on Queen Creek's county islands. If successful, the residents plan to contract with the Queen Creek Fire Department to provide services paid from the property taxes collected through the fire district.
"We have worked (circulated the petition in) most of the islands, except for a few areas in the southern end and homes with locked gates," said Marion Memmott, board member of the proposed Queen Creek County Islands Fire District.
The petition drive committee, composed of about 40 volunteers, is planning to send out 300 mailers to property owners they either could not reach because of a locked gate, a guard dog or county island property owners who live elsewhere, Memmott said.
"As Rural/Metro moves farther east and the majority of its business is in San Tan Valley, that is where they will focus their services," said Jeremiah Woodruff, board member of the proposed Queen Creek County Islands Fire District.
Rural/Metro Fire Department fire protection manager Luther Moorhead said the company has nothing further to say.
Asked by The Republic for comment in April, Moorhead said the petition drive is an issue between the citizens and the county. The department will "continue to respond and render emergency services to the county as needed." Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/2012/09/04/20120904county-island-residents-push-qc-fire-district.html#ixzz26B0osJML
