South Tucson approves fire truck, overhauls services
South Tucson approved a new fire truck purchase while restructuring its fire department, emergency response partnerships and funding during a period of transition.
The City of South Tucson is moving forward with significant changes to its fire department, approving the purchase of a new fire truck while restructuring staffing, funding and emergency response partnerships.
The City Council voted Jan. 6 to purchase the truck using funding from Prop. 409, a voter-approved measure that authorized the city to issue up to $6 million in general obligation bonds to pay for fire department vehicles, equipment, and fire station repairs and renovations.
In December, the City Council approved a partnership with Rural Metro Fire and EMS to help address staffing shortages in the fire department. However, KGUN reported that several department positions will be eliminated Jan. 31 as part of the transition. The fire department currently consists of one full-time firefighter, Capt. Andy Luna, and more than 30 part-time employees serving in reserve roles.
As South Tucson transitions service providers, the City of Tucson approved a one-month extension of an intergovernmental agreement allowing the Tucson Fire Department to continue providing emergency fire response support to South Tucson.
The Tucson Fire Department has provided emergency fire response support to South Tucson since July at a cost of $25,000 per month, with the agreement originally set to expire at the end of last year.
Under the agreement, the South Tucson Fire Department will respond to calls for service, including emergency medical calls, requesting additional support from the Tucson Fire Department as needed.
South Tucson has also requested funding support from Pima County, though the Pima County Board of Supervisors delayed a vote on a proposed four-year contract that would provide $300,000 per year for fire and emergency medical services. The board is expected to vote Feb. 3.
The South Tucson City Council is also considering a proposed reduction to its “food for home consumption” tax, lowering the rate from 1.5% to 0% over the course of three years.
South Tucson is one of the few municipalities in the state to have such a tax.
Reducing the tax would reduce the city’s general fund by roughly $170,000, according to the city’s finance director.
But city officials say the move could attract buyers to the building that once housed Food City, the city’s only grocery store, which closed in October. Officials also say it could help keep money within the city, as residents would no longer need to cross city lines to avoid the tax.
Nya Belcastro
The proposal is in a public notice period and is expected to go before the mayor and council for a vote in April, with implementation set for July 1 if approved.
The South Tucson City Council is expected to vote this month on whether to continue its contract with Flock Safety, a company that provides automated license plate reader cameras used by police to help investigate and deter crime.
The issue has drawn strong opinions from residents and local leaders, with supporters saying the cameras aid public safety and critics raising concerns about privacy, data sharing, artificial intelligence tracking and civil liberties as the city weighs its options.
The council has taken additional time to research alternative providers, during which South Tucson police launched a “Camera Transparency” portal outlining how camera data is used, who it is shared with and how footage has been applied in local investigations.
The City of Flagstaff voted to cancel its contract with Flock in December after residents raised privacy concerns.
Topacio “Topaz” Servellon is a reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact them at topacioserve@gmail.com.
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