Emergency response lags as Des Moines' south side grows
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Des Moines Fire Department Station 8, near McKinley Avenue and Southwest 14th St. Photo: Google Maps
Data shared during a tense City Council work session this week shows that the Des Moines Fire Department is less likely to meet response time goals on the south side than in other areas.
Why it matters: Delays in fire and EMS response can mean the difference between life and death or a recoverable injury versus permanent harm, potentially increasing risks in a growing city area.
State of play: The department aims to respond to 90% of emergency calls within 5 minutes and 20 seconds, a standard set by the National Fire Protection Association.
- None of the city's 11 fire stations met that benchmark last year.
Driving the news: The data was presented during a meeting on Monday, when fire chief John TeKippe suggested that the city remove one of the two fire trucks at Station 8, located near McKinley Avenue and Southwest 14th Street.
- The second truck was added 18 months ago as a pilot project to try to improve response time to area emergencies but the data shows it didn't work, TeKippe said.
Yes, but: Not everyone is convinced. A few council members pushed back, wondering if the second truck helped other stations respond more quickly and suggesting the issue needs further review.
By the numbers: The data showed the best response came from the downtown station at 1330 Mulberry Street, which achieved an 88.1% success rate.
- The city's southern stations had the worst performance — Station 10 at 5900 E. Indianola Ave. was at 58%, while Station 8 and Station 6 at 1919 SE. 6th St. were around 65%.
Zoom in: Seven stations performed the same or better compared to 2023.
- Station 8's decreased by 1.6 percentage points.
What they're saying: Councilmember Joe Gatto, who represents much of the south side, accused TeKippe of skewing data to justify budgetary pressures, saying he and City Manager Scott Sanders "are in the wrong positions" if they ultimately recommend eliminating a fire truck.
The other side: Meeting response time goals is closely associated with staffing and a station's proximity to population, which has changed with the city's southside growth, TeKippe said.
- "If you want to move those numbers, it will take an additional station and 22 additional people," TeKippe said.
State of play: The department has 312 employees and an operating budget of $57 million in the fiscal year that started this month, about $2.3 million more than in the previous year.
- Building a new station would cost around $13 million, TeKippe told the council.
Behind the scenes: Des Moines Firefighters, a union that TeKippe was the president of before his 2009 appointment as chief, has launched a campaign against the Station 8 truck cut.
- The union posted on social media Tuesday that the station helps protect Blank Park Zoo and its 500,000 annual visitors.
What's next: TeKippe agreed to provide the council with any additional data he can as they consider future budget and fire station decisions.