Residential Annexations

STEP 1: First, go online to www.asr.pima.gov and search for your property’s Limited Assessed amount by entering your name, address, or parcel number in the site’s Quick Search tile.

STEP 2: Divide the Limited Assessed amount by 100 yielding the Net Taxable Amount.

STEP 3: Multiply the Net Taxable Amount by the District’s current combined Operations and Bonds tax rate of $3.073* (the Northwest Fire District tax rate for the 2017-2018 tax year) to obtain the Annual taxes due to the District for your specific property.

*Note: The current Operations rate is $2.6995 and the Bonds rate is $0.3735. Once the Bonds are paid in full, the total tax rate will be reduced to the current Operations tax rate only.

 Example – using a single family residential property in the Town of Marana

Limited Assessed:  $14,101 / 100 = $141

Annual Taxes Due to the District: $141 * 3.073 = $433.30

Fire departments are part of a municipal government and are funded through the city’s general fund revenues derived from sales tax, state shared revenues, and property taxes. They are overseen by the same municipal council that oversees all city departments; thus subject to budget appropriations potentially impacted by other department needs not specific to fire and medical emergency response, or prevention programs.

Time is of the essence in an emergency. The closer a fire station is to your home, the faster help will arrive. In fact, it’s the single most critical factor in a positive outcome for a medical, rescue or fire emergency.

NWFD’s stations are strategically located throughout the District to ensure help arrives as quickly as possible. The location of each fire station is based on an assessment of our community’s specific risks, call loads and types, and areas that offer rapid responses to handle these identified risks. This is an ongoing assessment as part of our accreditation process through the Commission of Fire Accreditation International.

Ratings range on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best rating. A lower ISO rating is achieved by upgrading a community’s fire prevention and suppression capabilities, specifically in the categories of dispatch, water supply, and fire suppression. In short, better prevention efforts and response capabilities can lower insurance premiums. NWFD’s current ISO rating is a split rating of 1/1y. The first number (1) refers to the classification of properties within 5 road miles of a fire station and 1,000 feet of a hydrant. The second number (1y) refers to properties within 5 road miles of a fire station but beyond 1,000 feet of a hydrant. For properties that fit the second classification, NWFD utilizes water tenders which carry close to 3,000 gallons of water, and/or may deploy a water shuttle operation requiring multiple water tenders. In order to qualify for this rating, NWFD firefighters work very hard in training to achieve the standards required by ISO. There are approximately 30,000 fire departments in the country with an ISO rating, less than 3% of which are rated as a 2 or lower.

For more information regarding the ISO Public Protection Program, go to www.isomitigation.com.

Accreditation means a fire and EMS service provider measures, monitors, and continually works to benchmark and improve performance. Organizational standards are set, verified by an independent evaluation team, and these standards must be kept to maintain its accredited status.

NWFD was first accredited in 2007. NWFD is one of about 393 agencies nationwide that have earned its accreditation and one of two accredited fire/EMS agencies in Southern Arizona.

At the Northwest Fire District, every engine, ladder and rescue unit in the District has a paramedic onboard to ensure the highest level of medical care with the first arriving emergency unit. Similar to the location of our fire stations, response units are placed based on an assessment of our community’s risks, call loads, and types. The goal is to respond quickly and at the level of care each call requires for the best outcome for our patients.

Agencies have different standards on how many units and responders are needed to adequately handle an emergency.

In line with the National Fire Protection Agency’s recommendations, NWFD staffs fire suppression vehicles with four people. Per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s recommendations, we have a pre-determined number of units and responders dispatched to specific calls as published in our Standards of Cover. Visit nwfdaz.gov to review the latest version of this document.

Different fire districts provide a variety of programs and services to the community they serve. It’s important to know what resources are available through a fire district. In addition to fire/medical responses and transports, NWFD also operates dedicated Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue teams. Non-emergency services include smoke detector battery replacement, fall assist, and a Community Assistance Program to aid families after a traumatic event (fire or medically-related). The Northwest Fire District also offers several fire prevention services including code enforcement and safety education classes
on a variety of topics from babysitting basics to hands-only CPR. Specific classes are available at nwfdaz.gov for review at any time.

NWFD is home to forward-looking fire prevention programs, progressive evidence-based pre-hospital medical protocols, and award-winning public education programs that contribute to our community’s safety and well-being. We have a three part mission – to save lives, protect property, and care for our community. We take our mission seriously and continually innovate the many ways in which we care for our community.