Sunland Park fire fighters say disincorporation safety concern

The president of the Fire Fighters Association in Sunland Park says if the plan to dissolve the government pans out, people who live there can expect a much longer wait for help during emergency situations.

Currently the city’s fire department staffs two full time stations, protecting about 15,000 residents. They respond to about 1,700 emergency calls per year, with call volumes steadily increasing. If the department was dissolved, residents in Sunland Park would only rely on Dona Ana County for help. The Fire Fighters Association president Joseph Mayorga says response times could jump from seven minutes, all the way up to a half hour.

“Its not something that crosses their minds on a regular basis but we would hate for the public to be in that predicament where they’re having an emergency or a loved one’s have an emergency and they’re waiting and waiting and waiting for somebody to answer the call,” Mayorga said.

Mayorga said there’s such a demand for firefighters in Sunland Park that the city is looking into building a third fire station.