Doa Ana County within months of offering 24-hour fire service

This past June, a flaming vehicle ignited a blaze overnight on the Organ Mountains east of Las Cruces.

Because Doña Ana County did not have 24-hour service, Chief Nick Hempel told ABC-7 that all the county firefighters who responded overnight were volunteers.

“The truth is, it is difficult,” Hempel said. “The amount of effort we’re asking from our volunteers is huge.”

But on Tuesday, commissioners approved the salaries for six new firefighters and two new lieutenants in the county. Doña Ana County is now within months of offering 24-hour fire service to the public for the first time.

“On duty, 24 hours a day and seven days a week will be huge,” Hempel said.

In September, the president of the Doña Ana County Professional Firefighter’s Association strongly criticized the county for relying on volunteers.

“Expecting full time commitment out of the people only available in their spare time is an unfair burden to place on these volunteers,” Travis Simpson told commissioners in September.

On Tuesday, the union president told ABC-7 he’s optimistic about the addition of jobs.

“We feel fantastic about it,” Simpson said. “It’s a giant first step moving towards improving services in Dona Ana County.”

Manager Fernando Macias expects to hire the new staffers this spring. He told ABC-7 the county is also experimenting with incentive pay for volunteer firefighters.

Simpson said they will continue to address the issue.

“This is a good first stepping stone to where we need to get, but continual improvement is very important in the fire service,” the union president told ABC-7.