It is with great excitement that we celebrate a momentous achievement for our community: the ribbon cutting of Peoria’s brand-new public safety helicopter.
This milestone introduces the West Valley’s first advanced aviation unit, significantly enhancing our public safety and emergency response capabilities across the region.
The fully equipped Bell 505 Helicopter represents Peoria’s unwavering commitment to advancing public safety. With a planning area exceeding 230 square miles, including Lake Pleasant, our police and fire departments face many challenging emergency situations.
This new aviation unit will substantially improve our capabilities in law enforcement, search and rescue, firefighting, and will enhance response times throughout the city and neighboring West Valley communities.
Just as we plan diligently for our water future, we must also plan for the future of our public safety. As a city, Peoria’s population is expected to increase nearly 25% by 2030. As Peoria continues to grow, our responsibility to protect our residents becomes even more critical. This aviation unit not only strengthens our emergency response efforts but also supports our police and fire personnel who put their lives on the line each day. By providing them with cutting-edge technology, Peoria reaffirms its strong commitment to their safety and effectiveness.
As mayor, one of my top priorities has always been the safety of our residents and public safety officials. I am immensely proud of this accomplishment and remain steadfast in my commitment to supporting the brave men and women of Peoria and our entire region.
Promises made, promises kept – that is my commitment to you. Peoria’s aviation unit is one important and valuable asset, but still there is more incoming. By the end of this year, our Real-Time Crime Center will be operational, and we have allocated funding for a new joint public safety facility in the Vistancia area. Plus, we are continuing our ongoing commitment to adding additional school liaison officers across the city. As we move forward, let us all take pride in knowing that Peoria stands at the forefront of public safety innovation and preparedness.
Our city has worked tirelessly to equip our public safety professionals with the resources they need to keep us all safe and secure, and I look forward to continuing to further that commitment in the future.
