Commissioners say taking over Edgewood Fire/EMS would be costly and complex

Torrance County commissioners heard a preliminary request about assuming Fire and EMS coverage for the Town of Edgewood as the town's Joint Powers Agreement with Santa Fe County is set to expire June 30. County Manager Jordan Barela told the board Edgewood's current service baseline is roughly 1,200–1,400 annual calls with annual operating costs near $2.3 million for staffing and benefits.

Commissioners said the county is not ready to absorb services by the June 30 deadline and emphasized major obstacles: jurisdictional limits, the need to acquire apparatus and gear, renovate or convert facilities, and transition dispatch from Santa Fe Regional Communications Center. "Torrance County is NOT currently equipped to take over services by June 30," Barela said, urging more analysis of staffing and financial impact before any commitment.

Public commenters urged caution. Resident Helena Meyer warned expanding services would strain coverage across Torrance County's roughly 3,346 square miles and could shift costs to county taxpayers if Edgewood failed to fully fund the work. Commissioner Kevin McCall clarified a past claim by Edgewood that its department covered Torrance County was misleading: assistance cited had actually come from Santa Fe County.

The board discussed short-term alternatives including mutual aid or targeted automatic aid rather than full-time service takeover. Commissioners asked staff to return with detailed cost, staffing and dispatch transition analyses before any decision. The Commission took no formal action at the meeting.