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Mayor calls for review after volunteer fire department missed structure-fire dispatch
Summary
Mayor Mike Nealeigh and a volunteer firefighter described a Feb. 12 incident in which the Jemez Springs Volunteer Fire Department did not respond to three dispatch notifications for a possible structure fire; a Sandoval County deputy later found it was a false alarm. Officials said the issue appears to be a communication failure and will be investigated.
The Village of Jemez Springs Mayor and local volunteers said a Feb. 12 dispatch for a possible structure fire exposed a breakdown in volunteer notification, prompting the Mayor to announce follow-up investigations.
Mayor Mike Nealeigh told the Council that Sandoval County Fire and Rescue and other mutual-aid agencies responded after dispatch routed the call, but "the Jemez Springs Volunteer Fire Department did not respond, despite being contacted by dispatch three times." A Sandoval County deputy later determined the call was a false alarm.
Nealeigh said he met with Fire Chief Francois and Assistant Fire Chief Manolito Sanchez, and the chiefs characterized the incident as "fundamentally a communication failure." He said he had written a position paper and emphasized the potential severity if a real fire had occurred: the 20–30 minute delay while other units responded "could have been crucial" to safety.
Dr. Greg Mertz, a resident and VFD member who inspected AEDs and spoke at the meeting, said volunteer responders received text notifications that used the abbreviation "SF" (for "structure fire") which volunteers widely misunderstood. Mertz said he asked Sandoval County Dispatch for standard abbreviation documentation but was told none existed; he also reported a dispatch record noted a resident sighting of visible flames that did not appear in the VFD text notification.
Trustee Judy Boyd asked whether other agencies received the same information; Trustee Manolito Sanchez clarified that other agencies receive audible radio dispatch while the VFD receives text-only notifications due to coverage limitations. Mayor Nealeigh said there will be extensive communication among the VFD, Sandoval County, dispatch and village officials to resolve the problems and indicated the issue will likely be an action item on a future agenda.
What happens next: The Mayor indicated the matter will be investigated and that corrective steps will be proposed; no formal action was taken at the Feb. 25 meeting.
