Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Rep. Juan Ciscomani (in turnouts) poses with firefighters and Pima Town officials outside of the fire station.
Op-Ed By Pima Town Manager Vernon Batty
After a long, hard fight to pass the FY24 congressional budget, Congressman Juan Ciscomani was able to secure an award of $2 million for the purpose of building a new Fire Station for the Pima Fire Department. This was one of 13 projects in District 6 to receive funding through the Congressman’s office, totaling $26 million.
The town’s original Fire Station was completed in 1970 and was built mostly with volunteer labor from citizens and Fire Department members. The funds for materials were raised by selling Mexican food dinners provided by wives of the Fire Department members. This well-loved structure has served its purpose but has been outgrown, not only by the number of firemen (there are 35 members, and is one of the largest volunteer Fire Departments in the state), but also by modern fire trucks. The bays in the station are too small to house standard-sized fire trucks, so custom smaller trucks have to be purchased at a higher cost to fit into the bay doors.
The need for a new station has been apparent for years, but the trouble has been funding. With modern codes and safety expectations, relying on local know-how is not an option this time around. Pima Fire Department members continue to raise money through community events, but money from fundraisers doesn’t go as far as they used to.
As far as town resources go, Pima is at a disadvantage. It is growing in population, which brings extra costs, but not much extra revenue. Municipalities rely heavily on sales tax for their general fund and in this regard, Pima has grown much more slowly. Our close proximity to the larger communities of Thatcher and Safford means that most commercial development in the area happens outside of Pima’s borders and draws with it much of the tax dollars spent by its citizens. Most municipalities are constantly looking for grant funds to help improve life for their citizens whether it be from Federal, State, or private institutions, and for Pima, this is particularly vital. The entire yearly budget for the town of Pima without grants is around $3 million so one can imagine what a $2 million award means.
Another problem faced by Pima, and small towns in general, is that with a staff of only 13 full-time employees, including police officers, we do not have a professional grant writing team to consistently procure funds. Thankfully, other institutions have stepped in to help. This award would not have been possible without the help of the Graham County Electric Co-op, Arizona Electric Power, the USDA, Local First Arizona, and, of course, Congressman Ciscomani and his staff.
One might wonder why a community with 13 full-time employees needs a Fire Department with 35 volunteers. The answer is that they serve much more than those within Pima town limits. They consistently respond to calls in our outlying areas, other municipalities, BLM land, and the San Carlos Apache Reservation. The Pima Volunteer Fire Department has long been essential for the overall safety of Graham County.
The funds that have been procured do come with a 25 percent match that the town of Pima will be responsible for and even with this amount, more money will need to be raised to build a station to meet the needs of the Fire Department, but members of the department continue to work diligently are still receiving assistance in their efforts. As it progresses toward the ultimate goal of moving into a modern fire station, the Pima Fire Department will forever be grateful for all the efforts that have gone into helping secure the funds to keep it relevant moving into the future.
Vernon Batty – Pima Town Manager
