Information Resources

Most residents of northern New Mexico are aware by now of the extreme fire conditions that exist in our area. There have been several high profile fires around the state that have brought smoke and ash into the City Different and Santa Fe County. We will begin posting more information here regarding local fires and how they might affect residents, but there are a lot of resources available for resident who want to do their own research.

The New Mexico Fire Information website is usually updated daily, and provides solid information on the current status of active fires in the state. The Incident Information System website provides information on a wider diversity of fire, and also is updated daily. These two sites should provide a wealth information.

You can always contact Hondo Fire and Rescue or the Santa Fe County Fire Department with any questions. Hondo can be reached at 982-9999. The Santa Fe County Fire Department can be reached at 992-3070.

Pecos Med

Many of you may not know that fire departments spend most of their time running EMS calls. Often this means responding to calls that only require pre-hospital emergency medical care. This makes EMS providers an essential part of any emergency response system.

Next month the village of Pecos may lose the company that provides emergency medical services to their community. Pecos Med receives funding from a variety of sources, outlined in this story posted to the website for KOAT-TV. Please take a moment to watch the brief video.

The state, along with many cities and counties, are experiencing budget shortfalls thanks to the economic downturn. This has lead to political wrangling over budget priorities – highlighted by the ongoing legislative session here in New Mexico.

However funding for fire protection and EMS is not a political matter. It’s a matter of public safety. You can help protect local emergency medical services by donating money, calling your state legislator, or volunteering with your local fire department.

Winter driving

A winter storm is about to roll through northern New Mexico. Drivers are encouraged to use caution.

http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/fireworks-illegal-on-public-land/

Wildland Fire Trainings

Winter will be here soon, but this is the perfect time to be thinking about wildfires and training. There are a number of trainings over the next few months here in Santa Fe County and around New Mexico. The Santa Fe County Fire Department hosts a website that outline when and where those trainings here, linked here. If you're interested and a volunteer in Santa Fe County, talk to your district leadership about registering for classes.

2010 Hondo Challenge

The third annual Hondo Challenge is in the history books. Firefighters from around the Eastern Region of Santa Fe County met at Hondo Station Two to review how we respond to motor vehicle accidents, work together on several training evolutions, and engage in a little friendly competition.

These types of events are so critical to the work we do. As I've mentioned before, all the districts in the Eastern Region provide mutual aide to each other. So every chance we get to train together means a better relationships when it comes to working in the field. Below are a number of photos taken during the training.

Virgin Canyon Fire

Just wanted to give everyone an update on the Virgin Canyon Fire, burning near Jemez Springs. KOB-TV posted this article to their website earlier today.