It’s been a long time coming, but U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury and the Pueblo of Sandia Tribal Council finally unveiled Sandia Pueblo’s first Fire and Emergency Medical Services station on May 30.
The pueblo does not have the internal capacity to provide Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Before the opening of this new facility, the pueblo relied on faraway agencies for emergency help.
This need for their own equipment was highlighted when numerous departments battled a large fire in the Rio Grande Bosque some years ago. While the pueblo is mostly in Sandoval County and has agreements with its agencies, distance and unpredictable traffic can be wildcards for response times.
Since it relied on these three disparate agencies, the pueblo could not regulate the quality of service needed.
Sandoval County Station 43 is located on the Interstate 25 frontage road in Placitas, and from there it is seven miles to Sandia village through Bernalillo but 15 miles via I-25 and state highways. The distances are similar for Station 21 west of the Rio Grande on Santa Ana Pueblo near U.S. Highway 550, the six-lane thoroughfare through Bernalillo.
With Sandia Resort and Casino barely inside Bernalillo County, about 90% of emergency calls are medical.
“The partnership we have with them for fire and EMS is impeccable,” Sandia Gov. Stuart Paisano told the Signpost last year. “Getting across the river is usually what is the challenge.
Stansbury earmarked nearly $1.6 million for the project. The fire/EMS station is approximately 11,000 square feet. The pueblo entered a five-year MOU with the Bernalillo County Fire Department, which will staff and run the facility for the next five years. Any other equipment needed, the Bernalillo County Fire Department will supply.