Angel Fire fire chief reports Firewise application and council adopts deployment pay structure

Fire Chief Jason Paz reported that the village submitted an application for Firewise recognition covering an unusually large area (the submission seeks inclusion of more than 1,000 homes). He thanked staff and volunteers and highlighted recent prepositioning and deployment activity by the wildland team, which returned from a 14-day deployment that will generate revenue for the village.

Chief Paz also summarized training and operational activities — including slash-pile management, vehicle extrication training and mass-casualty exercises conducted in conjunction with the Balloons Over Angel Fire event — and said a recently negotiated EMS service agreement had been passed to the Village of Angel Fire for its consideration.

On the council's agenda the village presented and the council adopted Resolution 2026-48 to establish a comprehensive payment structure for personnel on deployment: it formalizes when deployment pay begins (upon acceptance of a resource order), includes travel/transit as compensable time while deployed, and applies a 20% increase for personnel who serve on incidents. The resolution also adds a 5% administrative fee for vehicle rentals associated with reimbursable deployments. Staff said the changes are based on applicable deployment rate schedules and that reimbursements are expected from state and federal resource-ordering agencies.

Council discussed whether meals are reimbursed and the chief clarified that meal reimbursements are handled via receipts and are reimbursable; the daily deployment rate does not automatically include meal allowances.

Outcome: Council adopted Resolution 2026-48 by roll call and instructed staff to apply the new schedule to future deployments.