Mesa city leaders gathered Wednesday morning to celebrate the groundbreaking of Fire Station 224, a new facility that will serve the city’s rapidly expanding southeast region.
Located at 3441 S. 80th Street, north of Elliot Road, the $12.3 million fire station will help reduce emergency response times in one of Mesa’s fastest-growing areas. The project is funded through the 2022 Public Safety Bond, approved by Mesa voters.
“This is an exciting time for Mesa, especially in the southeast part of the city,” said Mayor Mark Freeman. “This fire station is a long time coming. We have so much development here, not only residentially, but commercial and industrial buildings. With the Red Mountain Freeway to the east of us, we have a need for this fire station here.”
Freeman, a retired Mesa Fire and Medical Department paramedic captain, said the project carries personal meaning. “It’s important for me historically, but even more so to provide better services in our community,” he said.
Vice Mayor Scott Somers, who represents District 6 where the new station will be built, emphasized the critical need for the facility. “The fire service really is in the business of time,” Somers said. “Buildings are burning faster, medical emergencies are more critical. Having stations strategically located in the fastest growing district in Mesa is critical for reducing response times and saving lives and the health and property of residents.”
Somers added that the station will also support Mesa’s economic growth. “This is the fastest growing area of Mesa. Homes are being built all around us, and it’s also the center of economic growth for Mesa, even the state of Arizona, with so many new businesses moving in. This fire station will protect jobs and families.”
Fire Chief Mary Cameli noted that Fire Station 224 was strategically placed using call data and growth projections. “Anything we do today, we make data-informed decisions,” Cameli said. “The location of this station is based on the projection of call volume and where those calls will be. It’s not happenstance — it’s a strategic plan of where the station goes and when it should be built.”
Cameli said the station will have capacity for future expansion. “The most impact this station’s gonna have is it’s gonna reduce response times to emergencies in this area. That saves lives and also puts fires out much quicker. The station’s got the capacity to add more personnel and equipment as Mesa continues to grow.”
Mesa City Manager Scott Butler highlighted the broader impact. “This is a huge day for Southeast Mesa, but it really is for all of Mesa because all of these fire stations are part of one network that makes sure we can respond to our residents in their time of need as quickly as possible,” Butler said. “Even though this will greatly increase response times in Southeast Mesa, it’s going to have a ripple effect across the entire city.”
Butler credited Mesa residents for making the project possible. “The residents of Mesa really back up their commitment to public safety by supporting our men and women of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department and our police department,” he said. “We couldn’t do this without the support of our residents.”
When completed in fall 2026, Fire Station 224 will include three drive-thru apparatus bays, dorm rooms, offices, kitchen and dining areas, and job conditioning space. It will initially house Engine 224, a four-person crew, with the capacity to add additional units in the future.
The project is part of Mesa’s broader plan to expand public safety infrastructure. Fire Station 222, located on North Power Road, opened earlier this summer. A rebuild of Fire Station 205 on South Greenfield Road is scheduled to begin later this year, and construction on Fire Station 223 near 32nd Street and McDowell is set to start this winter.
