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Commission approves ambulance mutual aid with Guadalupe, tables Estancia automatic‑aid draft; reauthorizes bunker gear purchase
Summary
After discussing mutual‑aid protocols, the board approved an ambulance mutual‑aid agreement with Guadalupe County, tabled an Estancia fire/EMS agreement pending clarification whether it is 'automatic' aid, and reauthorized $50,500 to buy 10 sets of bunker gear for county firefighters.
County Manager Jordan Barela said the county needed formal mutual‑aid agreements after near‑simultaneous fire and transport demands on local resources. He explained an agreement with Guadalupe County would allow ambulance transport assistance when counties' units are tied up, noting recent multiple incidents on I‑40 had strained resources. The Commission approved the Guadalupe mutual‑aid agreement unanimously.
A separate draft agreement with the Town of Estancia was tabled after County Attorney Mike Garcia and Commissioners asked whether the draft created "automatic aid" obligations or simple mutual aid; Garcia said the distinction matters and recommended clarifying the text before approval. The Commission also approved the reauthorization of $50,500 from capital infrastructure funds to purchase 10 sets of bunker gear for fire personnel, with Deputy Manager Misty Witt explaining the gear is needed for training, certification and new hires. Mike Garcia said the mutual‑aid agreement does not create new tort liabilities: "Everybody's responsible for their own alleged torts claims, and it's spelled out the same to that effect in the agreement."
