The City of San Luis is growing and so is the need for emergency services

The City of San Luis' population has more than doubled

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY)-The City of San Luis is by far one of the fastest-growing cities in the Desert Southwest, doubling in size the last two decades.

The city has become home to another prison and a new commercial port of entry, making for easier passage of commerce from Mexico to the U.S.

The city has yet to stop growing as residential growth has stemmed both toward the north and the east of city limits.

A plus for San Luis is its border city San Luis Rio Colorado, which offers Mexican citizens a venue for shopping and American cuisine. In the past decade alone, the border city has become a magnet for franchise businesses like Denny's and several fast-food chains.  

As the city grows, the need for emergency services increases as well.

San Luis Fire Captain Angel Ramirez says that presently their fire station is more than equipped to handle the city's current demand.

Captain Ramirez and city officials want to take a proactive approach towards the future and have agreed to place a temporary fire station on the city's east end.

The temporary structure would be equipped with an ambulance and an engine. Captain Ramirez feels that although his department's response times are good now, he says once they add the temporary station, they'll be able to respond even faster.

Fire Station #2 is located in a park currently being developed in the same area, and in time it will go from temporary to a permanent fixture in the neighborhood. 

The second fire station would benefit more than just the City of San Luis since it's closer to both the state and federal prison complexes just east of the city and the International Commercial Port of Entry.

Chief Ramirez spoke about the benefits and says, "Right now, meeting them fine. But eventually, we won't know if we're not going to be able to be meeting those response times. But, if we're out there, it will get us to provide better service for the residents of San Luis and the prisons and the port of entry."

The new station would also assist other agencies in covering Area Service Highway 195 and Avenue B, which is a high volume roadway.