Dona Ana County hires firm to review fire-rescue operations; recruits for permanent chief underway

Dona Ana County has engaged Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) to perform a comprehensive review of the county fire-rescue department, county staff said Aug. 12. The Board of County Commissioners was briefed on the consultant's scope and the hiring committee's work to recruit a permanent fire chief.

Steven Lopez, assistant county manager, told commissioners the review will deliver three primary products: an agency evaluation comparing current staffing, deployment and operations to national best practices; standards of coverage analysis tied to NFPA guidelines and response-force capabilities; and a community risk assessment analyzing local hazards and vulnerabilities that should inform future resource allocation.

Lopez also described the hiring committee for the fire chief position, which includes department supervisors, a union member, a volunteer representative, a fire chief from another jurisdiction, a county department director and a community leader. The committee is revising the job description with the aim of posting the position once the description is finalized; interim Fire Chief Andrew Bowen has been assisting with recruitment outreach.

The commissioners asked for timelines and updates. Lopez said the consultant began work on Aug. 11 and will return findings to the county; staffing and budget implications will follow from the standards and risk assessment.

The board did not take action beyond accepting the briefings; staff will report back as the consultant's work proceeds and when the hiring process is ready to move to open recruitment.