Surprise City Council Work Session on RIMCEM Chemical Facility and Hazmat Preparedness, October 20, 2026

The Surprise City Council held a work session on October 20, 2026, to review the RIMCEM chemical distribution facility's approval history and the city's hazardous materials preparedness, fire code compliance, emergency response, and emergency management systems. Council members thanked fire staff for the presentation but raised safety concerns about a planned 1,500-person federal detention facility near the chemical facility, particularly the absence of a shared emergency plan from federal authorities.

Entitlement and Zoning History

• City staff member Trevor said the RIMCEM site entered the city through a 1996 annexation.
• In 2020, the property was rezoned from light industrial I1 to general industrial I2 through a public hearing approved by the City Council.
• In 2022, a site plan was approved for warehouse distribution and outdoor storage; the facility was designed for chemical distribution, not converted later.
• A building permit was issued in 2022, construction passed inspections, and a certificate of occupancy was issued in 2024.

Fire Code and Hazardous Materials Compliance

• Fire department staff explained the pre-construction review of proposed materials, storage methods, and fire code requirements, including control areas, spill control, secondary containment, sprinklers, alarms, ventilation, gas detection, and explosion control.
• SFMD conducts periodic inspections and intends to perform comprehensive annual walkthroughs, guided by NFPA 1730.
• Assistant Chief Cody Warrell described federal reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act: Tier II reports must be filed annually through ADEQ and are shared with the state, county LEPC, and local fire department.
• Facilities with extremely hazardous chemicals above thresholds must also comply with the EPA Risk Management Program under the Clean Air Act, including a risk management plan updated at least every five years.

Emergency Response and Emergency Management

• Fire operations staff described a layered response: first-arriving companies assess the hazard and isolate the area, hazmat technicians provide specialized monitoring, PPE, entry, leak control, containment, and decontamination, and regional automatic aid can expand the response.
• Firefighters train with regional hazmat teams and conduct pre-incident familiarization walkthroughs.
• Emergency management coordinates with the incident commander to verify information, issue public alerts, and activate the Emergency Operations Center for larger incidents. Alert tools include the Wireless Emergency Alert system, RAVE reverse 911, city website, social media, and coordinated media briefings.

Council Discussion and Concerns

• Councilman Duffy said the planned federal detention facility is roughly 300 to 400 feet from the chemical facility, questioned why a building housing people would be allowed so close, and noted the city has not received an emergency plan from DHS. The Mayor confirmed no emergency plan has been received and said the city has been advocating in Washington and with federal officials, but the federal action does not have to comply with local zoning.
• Councilman Judd asked about other hazardous materials sites, tier reporting, chemical deliveries by truck, plume modeling, and evacuation coordination with schools and nearby facilities. Fire staff said all facilities are required to have at least an evacuation plan.
• Vice Mayor Greenberg raised concerns about trucks parked near the facility as an attractive nuisance and worried about evacuation behavior if an incident occurred.
• Councilman Melton asked about coordination with El Mirage and thanked staff.
• Councilman Haney asked about the fire service risk management model and the importance of pre-planning and information sharing for protecting first responders. Fire staff described the model: risk a lot to save savable lives, risk a little to save a little, risk nothing to save nothing.
• Councilman Hastings praised the department's professionalism and the motto always there, always ready.

Key Outcomes

• The work session was informational; no policy votes were taken.
• Council members expressed continued concern about the lack of federal emergency planning information and signaled they will continue advocating for the city's safety needs.
• A motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and approved by voice vote.