Mason, Ohio | Enhancing Service and Community Safety

Locations:

Station 51 – located at 4420 Mason Montgomery Road
Station 52 – new station constructed on City owned property, along Western Row Road across from Luxottica. Current station located at 5500 Cedar Village Drive will be relocated here.
Station 53 – new station constructed at 762 Reading Road

Council’s approval of Resolution 2024-4, shifted attention to securing property for station locations. And, at the meeting on December 8, 2025, Council approved Ordinance 2025 – 31 which authorized the City Manager to negotiate a purchase and sale agreement of property for a third station. Station 52 will be moved to City owned property, eliminating the need to purchase additional property.

On May 11, Council approved Ordinance 2026 – 53 – reimbursing legislation for the issuance of bonds, zoning changes, design, architectural and engineering contracts and the purchase of an additional aerial fire apparatus. If approved additional legislation would be needed in 2027 related to construction. It is anticipated that if approved construction would begin in Spring 2027 and completed late 2028/early 2029.

Issuing debt for construction of fire stations is a financially prudent, equity minded approach as the cost is shared fairly across the residents who will benefit from it over time. The City of Mason has proactively and responsibly built financial reserves to help offset future operational and capital costs associated with running a third fire station. The City is also strategically planning the necessary resources including personnel and equipment needed for a third station, recognizing that most fire apparatus have a current estimated lead time of two years or more.

Throughout 2006 and 2007, the City conducted various fire station location studies. These studies indicated the need for at least three fire stations in the City to achieve optimal response time standards in the future. In addition, the City took action to complete a departmental reorganization plan adding Deputy Fire Chiefs and Fire Lieutenants to improve supervision within the Department. In 2010, the City relocated Fire Station 51 from Downtown to the current location on Mason-Montgomery Road at Alliance Drive. The relocation of Station 51 was identified as the first step in transitioning towards the recommended three-station model.

In 2022, Mason City Council approved a Resolution 2022-11 supporting the development of a strategic plan for the Fire Department, and acknowledged needs for the future included strategic and thoughtful decisions on flexible and adaptable resource allocation and staffing plans and a total of three to four strategically located fire stations to create and maintain a service delivery plan that responds to fire and medical emergencies in a manner consistent with NFP standards.

Then in 2024, Council approved Resolution 2024-4, which adopted the Fire Department’s Strategic Plan and reaffirmed the importance of a total of three to four strategically located fire stations to create and maintain a service delivery plan that responds to fire and medical emergencies in a manner consistent with providing the best opportunity for life safety, property conservation, and incident stabilization.

When the City of Mason Fire Department was established in 1998, voters approved a 5-mill fire levy through 2003 to fund Fire and EMS services. This levy was renewed in 2003 to continue the same funding model through 2008. In 2008, the City of Mason proposed once again placing a 5-mill fire levy on the ballot as well as a 2-mill additional levy to help fund the increased cost of fire and EMS operations due to the rapid growth of the City. Ultimately, voters approved the continued 5-mill fire levy however voted against the additional 2-mill fire levy. The failure of the additional levy coupled with the reduction in reimbursements from the State led to City leadership evaluating other options to secure a long-term funding model for Fire and EMS services.

In 2012, the City of Mason proposed a Charter Amendment to diversify funding sources for safety services as well as provide a long-term sustainable funding model for the future. The Charter Amendment proposed two mechanisms of funding – a property tax levy up to 5 mills and Council action that could increase the income tax rate up to .15% for safety services. The Charter Amendment was approved and City Council established the property tax millage rate to 4.4 mills and the income tax rate at 1.12%. This funding structure and rates put in place in 2012 continues to remain a financial sustainable model for the City of Mason Fire Department.

The City of Mason’s conservative budgeting practices have provided an estimated $7.3 million balance in the Safety Fund Reserve account for capital expenses and an unencumbered balance in the Safety Fund of $10.9 million for operations of the Department. The City has an established prudent fiscal practice to retain a minimum fund balance of 25% of 2-3 monthly expenses in case of an emergency.

Will My Taxes Increase to Fund the Third Station?

No. In 2012, electors approved a Charter Amendment that provided the long-term funding model for the department. The model provides for a .12% income tax to be used for safety services and a property tax rate of up to 5 mills. The original property tax established at 4.4 mills has not been increased since its inception in 2012. The funding structure continues to remain a financially sustainable model for the Department.

Has the City sought Community Input?

In 2023, the City contracted with the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) to develop a Strategic Plan that included soliciting public input on expectations for fire, rescue, and EMS operations.

42 community stakeholders representing residents, small businesses, and the corporate community were asked to provide direct feedback on the expectations of the fire department, what services the fire department should provide, what the fire department should keep doing, and what the fire department should stop doing or add to the service level. Results were compiled and then used to develop a community driven strategic plan based on public feedback.

The number one expectation from the public input was for the fire department’s response times to align closer to the national standard. The community panel identified that reduced response times increase community safety.

Where will the Stations Be Located and Why?

Fire station locations are determined through a structured, data-driven process designed to minimize response times, meet national standards and serve long-term community growth. The goal is simple – put firefighters close enough to emergencies to arrive within nationally recommended time frames through layers of analysis.

With approval of Ordinance 2025 – 31, the City secured the property located at 762 Reading Road just south of Tylersville Road. In addition, Station 52 will be relocated to the City owned property along Western Row Road, across from Luxottica.

Will Existing Fire Stations be Impacted?

According to the modeling work performed, Fire Station 51 will remain. Station 52 will be relocated to property owned by the City along Western Row Road, across from Luxottica. A third station will be constructed at 762 Reading Road.

Will Additional Equipment and Staff be Needed for Third Station?

When the 2006/2007 strategic plan identified a need for a third station, the City proactively began to prepare. Since then, staffing structure, resources, training, and equipment were evaluated to align with a potential third station. Most significantly in 2020, the City implemented a pilot program that moved a reserve ambulance into front line status adding additional personnel. The third ambulance operated from Station 52 during peak call times. Ultimately, the additional ambulance reduced response times by providing more resources within the community, reducing the reliance on mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions. Call volume has continued to increase and as such the pilot program was implemented into 24/7/365 operations. This ambulance and personnel would be moved to a third station. Additional equipment and resources will be needed for fire equipment responses.

What is the Time Frame for Station Location and New Station to Open?

On April 6, the City released an RFQ for the architectural design services for two fire stations. As part of this process, staff will vet architectural firms and work to select a suitable firm to move forward with the design process. Next steps would include Council approval of reimbursing legislation for the issuance of bonds, zoning changes, design, architectural and engineering contracts and the purchase of an additional aerial fire apparatus. If approved additional legislation would be needed in 2027 related to construction. It is anticipated that if approved construction would begin in Spring 2027 and completed late 2028/early 2029.

How many fire stations are in Mason?

Station 52

Station 52, located at 5500 Cedar Village Drive opened in 1999 after the dissolution of the Mason – Deerfield Joint Fire District and an urgent need for second fire station. The City invested approximately $2.26 million to acquire the property and build the fire station. Today, adjusting for inflation, the total investment is approximately $4.04 million.

The station houses Ladder 52, Medic 52, and Medic 53 which are primarily responsible for calls for service in the areas south of Tylersville Road.

Station 51

Station 51, located at 4420 Mason-Montgomery Road, opened in 2010 to replace the former Station 51 that was located at the corner of Mason Montgomery Road and Church Street to help address community growth in the northern part of the City. The City invested approximately $4.26 million for property, roadway improvements and facilities for Station 51. Today, adjusting for inflation, the total investment is approximately $6.04 million.

Battalion 51, Engine 51 and Medic 51 are the primary response units at Station 51. Station 51 response units are primarily response for calls for service in the areas north of Tylersville Road. Station 51 is also home to Fire Administration headquarters and the Emergency Operations Center for the City.

Will a Fourth Station be needed, and if so, when?

The 2022 Strategic report is based upon estimated growth projections. Those projections indentify a need for a fourth station in the future. However, before moving forward with a fourth station the City would undertake a future strategic analysis to confirm growth did occur as anticipated, fourth station is needed and the location for the station.

If a Fourth Station is Built What Will Happen to Existing Fire Stations?

The modeling and analyzing that was done identified a fourth station. Station 51, the new station and relocation of Station 52 align with the projections that indicated a future need for a fourth station.

Will additional equipment be needed?

The City is currently operating 2 ambulance units and personnel from Station 52. One of those units would be shifted to the new station. The 2025 budget includes the purchase of an aerial ladder apparatus for a third station. The City has plans to move forward with additional vehicles and equipment purchases ahead of schedule due to the significant lead time for delivery. Currently, there is a lead time of 3 years for fire apparatus and 2+ years for ambulances.

The City’s financially prudent capital budgeting practices has planned for the replacement of emergency vehicles. Unfortunately, the challenge faced by the City is that a significant amount of capital outlay occurred in 1998 for vehicles and equipment which are all at the end of their useful life. The City has an a thoughtful maintenance and long-term planning program, to attempt to spread out these significant expenses over time. Again, the current climate of extended lead times for fire apparatus and vehicles is causing complications to the City’s capital replacement plan. The following describes some of the lead time challenges for new equipment.

Vehicles on Order/Budgeted
Ambulance (Ordered February 2023, Due March 2025)	Replaces 2012 Ambulance
Aerial Tower Apparatus (Ordered May 2023, Due Q1 2026)	Replaces 1998 Aerial Tower
Fire Engine (Ordered June 2024, Due Q4 2026)	Replaces 2006 Fire Engine
Ambulance (Ordered Sept. 2024, Due Q4 2027)	Replaces 2013 Ambulance
Rescue Truck (not ordered, budgeted in 2025, 24-month lead time)	Will replace 1992 Rescue Truck
Aerial Ladder (not ordered, budgeted in 2025, 36-month lead time)	Additional Apparatus for 3 station model

When new vehicles arrive, staff intend to keep current vehicles in reserve for several years before the current vehicles are surpluses to protect against unexpected loss or maintenance issues resulting in a shortage of available emergency vehicles. Ambulances are generally expected to last 12+ years and fire apparatus are expected to last 20+ years. The decision to replace a vehicle is based on a combination of age, condition, and safety standards.

Has the City Considered Sharing Stations and Resources with Deerfield Township?

In 1998 Deerfield Township withdrew from the Joint Fire District between Mason and the Township. As a result, Mason and Deerfield formed their own fire departments. The Mason and Deerfield Township Department personnel work cooperatively daily responding to emergency calls. A mutual aid agreement assists in guiding responses by both organizations.

The Strategic Plan and modeling for station locations does factor in Deerfield Township station location and staffing.

Even with Deerfield Township’s stations, a third station in Mason is needed to align closer to the NFPA response time standard and improve community safety.

What is a Mutual Aid Agreement?

A mutual aid agreement is an agreement between local jurisdictions outlining how resources are shared, and responses are made to emergency calls. In short, the goal is for the resources nearest to the emergency to respond while also providing backup assistance when resources are committed. Since 1999, jurisdictions within Warren County have had a mutual aid agreement for fire and emergency management services.

Are Emergency Service Responses Billed to Patients?

As part of the establishment of the City of Mason Fire Department in 1998, the City entered a contract with Medicount Management, Inc. to provide billing services related to EMS patient transportation to local hospitals. Billing for emergency medical services is standard procedure for most communities. The City continues to use Medicount Management to provide these services, and the contract has been renewed and updated several times over the last 25-year period to reflect changes to standard billing rates and practices.

Medicount Management Inc. is based in Cincinnati and performs EMS billing services for over 325 entities throughout the Midwest region. A majority of the customers who utilize the City’s EMS transportation have some form of insurance. EMS transport is often included as part of an individual’s insurance and accounts for a large percentage of billing revenue collected. Essentially, a significant amount of work that Medicount Management does on behalf of the City is invoicing insurance companies to receive reimbursement to recoup some of the cost of providing EMS. Medicount Management services save a significant amount of staff time in a complicated and specialized area.

Revenues generated from EMS billing are approximately $1.2 million annually or approximately 9% of the Fire Department’s annual operating budget.

The City of Mason began providing fire protection and emergency services in 1998 after the dissolution of the Mason-Deerfield Joint Fire District. This dissolution required urgent action by City leadership at the time to hire personnel, purchase fleet and equipment, and build and operate a second fire station. Below is a timeline that outlines significant advancements that have taken place since the establishment of the City of Mason Fire Department and the City of Mason’s ongoing commitment to providing high quality emergency services and our diligence in planning for the future.

1998 – City of Mason Fire Department is established. Equipment and resources from the Joint Fire District are distributed between Mason and Deerfield Township. Mason takes ownership of one fire station located in Downtown Mason. The Department responds to an average of 2,500 calls per year. A second station is needed to service the community.
1999 – Station 52 opens on Cedar Village Drive. The location of Station 52 is selected due to availability of property and centrally located along the Mason-Montgomery corridor. The Mason Fire Department organizational structure consists of 20% full time employees and 80% part-time employees.
2006 – Due to rapid growth in the community, and significant fire events, the City initiates several strategic studies for the development of the long-term strategy that would ensure service levels and response times align with current and future needs of the City. This strategy included conducting various fire station location studies and organizational assessments.
2007 – As a result of the strategic studies, the City adopts the goal for emergency response – 5 minute travel time, 90% of the time – to better align with the national standard. Several key strategies were identified in order to advance this goal.
2007 – The City implemented intensive training efforts, standards and protocols to strengthen safety, improve skills and increase efficiency and response times. These training efforts continue today. Additionally, the City developed and entered into an automatic mutual aid agreement with Deerfield Township for Fire Department responses.
2009 – The City of Mason implemented a new organizational structure within the Department to provide leadership, additional development and consistent supervision.
2010 – Station 51, then located in Downtown Mason at the corner of Mason Montgomery and US 42, was relocated north on Mason Montgomery Road to help address growth in the northern part of the community and enhance response times.
2010 – The City joins Northeast Fire Collaborative to enhance efficiency in training and equipment purchases.
2012 – Charter Amendment is approved by voters that secures a funding model for long-term sustainability of safety services. The Charter Amendment has two funding mechanisms for safety services including police and fire. One, the amendment allows the City to increase the income tax rate up to .15% for safety services. The second allows the City to adjust the property tax millage.
2013 – The City receives a federal grant accelerating the timeline of transitioning to a full-time staffing model for Fire services.
2015 – An emergency traffic pre-emption system is implemented at all major intersections to allow emergency vehicles responding to an emergency to obtain a green light at intersections enhancing safety and response times.
2018 – The City of Mason enters into an automatic mutual aid agreement with West Chester Township.
2019 – The City begins transforming the former Wastewater Treatment Plant into a Safety Service Center providing additional training amenities for safety services.
2020 – The City of Mason implements a pilot program to place a third ambulance into service, expanding the community’s access to emergency medical care.
2020 – Warren County implements a new system that provides automatic vehicle location technology that allows dispatchers to send the closest, most appropriate resource to an emergency scene based of an emergency vehicle’s GPS location, furthering the City’s goal to reduce response times.
2021 – The City of Mason enters into an automatic mutual aid agreement with Liberty Township.
2022 – The Community Driven Strategic Planning Process begins.
2023 – Based on the success of the pilot program, the third ambulance, Medic 53 is placed into service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, operating out of Station 52.
2023 – City of Mason implements an automated voice dispatch and fire station alerting system to increase the speed and efficiency of turnout time – the time it takes for emergency personnel to receive notification of an emergency, mount a vehicle and begin driving to an emergency scene.
2024 – The Mason Fire Department receives an upgraded ISO rating of 2, with the highest rating being 1. The upgrade is based on significant improvements in the areas of training, staffing and community risk reduction.

Today – The Mason Fire Department is staffed with 60 full-time employees operating out of two stations and responds to approximately 5,000 calls per year. Each employee completes an average of 250 hours of Fire, EMS & Rescue training

Additional Background

The safety of residents, businesses and visitors in the City of Mason continues to be a top priority. Providing high quality emergency services is an essential component to the City’s mission of building a culture of wellness throughout the community.

The City of Mason Fire Department began operations in 1998 and today has evolved into one of the most respected agencies staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days a week with full-time Fire, EMS and Rescue professionals that operate out of two stations – Fire Station 51 and Fire Station 52. The Fire Department responds to an average of 5,000 emergency calls per year.

In 2022, Council approved Resolution 2022 – 11 which outlined support for a process to update the Strategic Plan for the City of Mason Fire Department that included community input to reaffirm and establish priorities for the long- term future of the Department. The strategic planning process involved a variety of community stakeholders that represented a diverse set of backgrounds. The results identified the top priorities and expectations for the Fire Department and identified strategies to successfully meet those priorities and expectations. Community panel members identified the top priority as response times that align closer to the national response time standard. To review the updated Strategic Plan please click here.

The Strategic Plan process, also included a community risk assessment. The process evaluated risks and areas for improvements in the City of Mason’s Fire, Rescue and EMS services. Further improving response times, primarily the time it takes the first arriving emergency response unit to travel to the scene of an emergency, was identified as the priority of the emergency risk assessment. The National Fire Service response time standard is to arrive at the scene within 4 minutes, 90% of the time. Currently, the City of Mason’s response time is just under 7 minutes. Narrowing this gap remains a priority for the City of Mason. Since 2006, the Fire Department has implemented a number of initiatives to enhance response times. While those initiatives have been successful, the most significant advancement that remains for improving response time is transitioning to a three-station location model.

In February 2024 Council approved Resolution 2024 – 4 which supported results of the Strategic Plan including moving forward with a three-station model to strengthen Fire and EMS services and improve response times to better align with national standards for the community.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) was established in 1896. NFPA serves as the world’s leading advocate of fire prevention and is an authoritative source on public safety. NFPA 1710 sets forth a standard for the organization and deployment of Fire and EMS operations to the public. In establishing the minimum standard, the NFPA based the response time to the growth of fires and the survivability of occupants in the building. Similar to a fire response, one of the key factors that may increase the chance of survival in a life-threatening emergency is response time by EMS units.

Why Response Time is Important

Flashover typically occurs within 7-8 minutes of a fire. The NFPA has shown that fire fatalities are eleven times greater for homes similar to those found in Mason if flashover occurs. And studies by the American Heart Association have repeatedly shown the importance of defibrillation within 3-5 minutes of collapse to improve survival from sudden heart attacks. Response times are critical in both Fire and EMS and, consequently, remain a service goal of the City. For every minute saved during response, a cardiac arrest patient’s chance for survival increases by 10%. Fires grow exponentially, meaning a three-minute reduction in response time would keep a fire approximately 16x smaller than it would be with a response that takes three minutes longer. A quick response to fires promotes a greater chance of survivability and safety for building occupants and safer environment for first responders to operate in.

Key Components of Response Time

Dispatch Time – Time it takes from when the emergency call is received by Warren County Dispatch to when the units are dispatched with all necessary information. The recommended national standards to process a 911 call are 90 seconds, 90% of the time and 120 seconds, 99% of the time. The communications center processes 90% of calls within 90 seconds. The communications center uses a process known as emergency medical/fire dispatch, which prompts the caller to answer a few more questions and allows the communication center to dispatch the most appropriate response unit for the call. In addition, the highest number of non-English speaking calls that come to the communications center are from Mason and Deerfield. The need for interpretation services can lead to delays in gathering the necessary information to dispatch calls.

Turnout Time – The time it takes for first responders to get dressed, gather equipment, and get into the vehicle. The recommended national standard is 60 seconds for 90% of EMS calls and 80 seconds for 90% of fire/rescue calls. The fire department has a demonstrated history of being able to turn out to calls in 80 seconds from 7am-10pm. The turnout time is approximately 30-50 seconds longer between the hours of 10pm-7am, as personnel are responding from the sleeping quarters in fire stations.

Travel Time – The time it takes to drive from the fire station to the incident location. The recommended national standard is 4 minutes for 90% of all calls. This standard was generally developed for urban environments with a grid street pattern. Due to the suburban environment and street network in Mason, the travel time goal was established in 2007 as 5 minutes with an optimal target of 4 minutes. Improving travel time by having fire stations in more strategic locations will have the most impact on reducing response times and improving safety. The current travel time performance is nearly 7 minutes for 90% of calls.

City Work to Improve Response Times

Automated dispatch monitors are installed in each fire station. Emergency units are now dispatched by a computer – allowing for a quicker time to get the call from the Communications Center out to units dispatched to the call. Enhancements to the voice dispatch system use video screens and visual alarms to communicate incident details to first responders to provide emergency call details within seconds to shorten dispatch time and turnout time.
Turnout timers (“shot-clocks”) located at each station provide real-time visual feedback for responders to meet the turnout time requirement of 60seconds for EMS calls and 80 seconds for fire/rescue calls – turnout time is the time that first responders must put on their personal protective equipment, board apparatus and get vehicles enroute.
Traffic preemption devices have been installed in all intersections controlled by a traffic signal. These devices utilize the GPS location of vehicles responding to an emergency to communicate with the traffic signals, allowing emergency vehicles to gain the right-of-way at intersections to reduce travel time to the incident and minimize the chance of accidents.
Automatic vehicle location technology uses the GPS of emergency vehicles to communicate real-time emergency vehicle location to the Communications Center. This information allows for the closest, most appropriate, available emergency response unit to be dispatched to the emergency call. The system also provides route analysis and mapping to provide the fastest route to the emergency.
Training rooms in fire stations are equipped with remote learning technology. This technology allows crews to conduct training together virtually – meeting the need for extensive and on-going training while keeping responding units “home” in their respective fire stations.
City staff collaborate on the development of new roadways. Emergency services’ input on road location and design helps reduce travel time by placing roadways in better locations and designing roadways that are easier for emergency vehicles to travel on.
Two additional upgrades have nearly been finalized at the communications center that will assist in reducing response times. ASAP to PSAP is a software upgrade that allows instant transfer of alarm information from an alarm monitoring company to the communications center. This will allow automatic emergency alarms to be dispatched quicker. The second upgrade is the CAD-to-CAD software. This software links dispatch centers and information between communications centers and across county lines to get information to mutual aid responders faster and eliminate delays in processing calls that include mutual aid response. Both upgrades were fully implemented in 2025.

While attention will remain on training, roadway improvements and evaluating newer technologies as they develop, the most significant impact for reducing response time is station locations and adequate staffing for those stations.