The city government is one step closer to bringing faster emergency services to Maricopa.

City council approved Tuesday a resolution to support Maricopa Fire/Medical Department’s application to operate its own ambulances with the state health department.

The application, also called a certificate of necessity, is part of a review that confirms an agency like MFMD can “run and financially sustain an ambulance in a specific geographic area or boundary,” said Fire Chief Brad Pitassi.

This would remove the need for Maricopa Fire/Medical Department to rely on third-party ambulance services in the near future. The application process can take up to 24 months to be approved, but Pitassi estimated city-operated ambulance service could begin by late 2027.

“Through this, [MFMD] will provide 100% of the emergency medical services pre-hospital within the city, which is critically important,” Pitassi said. “We’ll be able to scale our services based on our community needs in the future.”

It would also allow MFMD to focus on 911 pre-hospital care and transportation, he said.

It’s just one step of the city’s plans in purchasing and operating six ambulances in the coming fiscal year. The proposal of the $2.7 million purchase was made during a Council Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting earlier this month.