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County discusses airboat purchase, DWI "Arrive Alive" tour and tire cleanup; fire department reports staffing gains
Summary
Commissioners heard from emergency services and DWI staff about plans to acquire an airboat for swift‑water rescue, an Arrive Alive driving simulation visit to local schools, and coordinated roll‑off deployments to remove thousands of tires; fire department reported recent hires and training activity.
County emergency‑services staff and program representatives briefed commissioners on a set of public‑safety initiatives meant to expand rescue capability and community education.
Emergency‑services staff explained recent incidents in which swift water rescues required resources located hours away and said acquiring a locally‑stationed airboat would reduce response time in flooding and swift‑water events. Staff said the county has historically relied on resources based near Albuquerque and that the airboat would be a valuable tool during flooding, citing previous rescues where a larger vessel recovered people whom smaller boats or rope systems could not reach quickly.
Commissioners approved travel and training requests that include airboat training; staff said the county will evaluate how the airboat performs in operations and coordinate stationing to cover northern and southern areas to improve response times during simultaneous flood events.
DWI program staff described the Arrive Alive tour, a mobile vehicle‑based virtual simulation that allows students to experience the effects of texting and impaired driving using goggles and monitors. The program runs about six hours and can accommodate up to 200 students; participating schools will receive printouts and educational materials for students after the exercise. The DWI office said it is also pursuing virtual‑reality goggles and a simulator for local use in the future.
Public‑works and landfill staff reported coordinated roll‑off donations and cleanup efforts that have removed thousands of tires from problematic properties. Staff described a current cleanup removing roughly 3.5 acres of tires at a site and said crews have been hauling multiple loads per week to the landfill in partnership with property owners who pay roll‑off fees.
Fire department leadership provided operational statistics, including about 3,457 emergency calls last year, 20,000+ hours of training, and hundreds of inspections. The department reported five cadets recently graduated from the academy, several pending hires and promotions that will reduce line‑staff vacancies, and continuing smoke‑alarm and extinguisher installations for residents.
Commissioners expressed support for the equipment and community programming, and approved the travel requests needed for training the staff who will operate new assets.
