The Copper Basin development in Pinal County will have its first fire station today when staff and equipment from Rural/Metro Fire Department’s former Gilbert station move in.
Three firefighters will man a temporary station — a trailer with office space and sleeping quarters, and a fire engine — to serve the growing area that generates nearly 3,000 emergencies per year, Rural/Metro officials said.
Construction is expected to begin soon on a $3 million permanent station, Battalion Chief Bill Grubb said.
“It will probably take five to seven months to complete the station,” he said. “When the station is complete we’ll increase the staffing.”
Rural/Metro’s next step is to build more stations in Northern Pinal County and the Queen Creek area. Company officials said they hope that through the Copper Basin area station they will attract more subscribers to fire service.
“It takes $1.5 million a year to operate a fire station,” Grubb said. “That’s about 7,000 homes with subscriptions.”
Grubb said growth prompted the new fire station’s location, a project the department has been working on for two years.
“We’ve watched the steady increase in population, and with the steady increase we’ve seen a need for a station,” Grubb said. “The area is growing so rapidly.”
Across the street from the station, Libby Corral, executive director of the YMCA, said she looks forward to having a fire station close by.
“We feel that having the fire department right across the street will bring a sense of both safety and community to Copper Basin,” she said. “We’ve had a really great relationship with the department in Johnson Ranch, and we hope to extend that with the new one.”
Opening day
What: New Rural/Metro Copper Basin Fire Station celebration
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today; the firetruck and crew pull into their fire station at 12:30 p.m.
Where: 28353 N. Main St., Copper Basin development
Information: (480) 627-6451
