Eddy County welcomes Loving fire additions as calls for service increase in 2023

Additions to Eddy County’s Fire and Rescue station in Loving appear needed as emergency personnel responded to 878 calls so far in 2023, said Chief Joshua Mack.

Since 2022 Eddy County Fire and Rescue (ECFR) transitioned from 11 volunteer fire districts to three paid centralized sections covering northern, southern and southwestern parts of the county.

On Tuesday Eddy County’s Board of County Commissioners approved a $1.1 million bid from Waide Construction of Roswell to add a training room, weight room and storage rooms to ECFR’s southern operations in Loving.

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Mack said ECFR’s southern personnel cover nearly 60 miles of territory from Brantley Lake State Park to the Texas state line.

He said ECFR aids Loving, Culbertson and Reeves counties in Texas as needed.

“We have seen an increase over the years in (emergency) responses and expect it to continue to rise in the near future,” he said.

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Mack said ECFR chose Loving as the base of operations due to high call demands for emergency services.

In a memo to commissioners, Mack said construction at the fire station on Fourth Street would allow for more fire equipment and increased response times to southern portions of the county and the Village of Loving.

Eddy County Manager Roberta Gonzales said a $400,000 grant from the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s office would pay for the addition along with $776,000 from the State Fire Fund.

According to the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (NMDHSEM), the Fire Service Bureau was responsible for handing out funds from the State Fire Fund to help fire departments across New Mexico in preparation for Insurance Service Office (ISO) surveys, read the agency’s website.

Kevin Willard, ECFR division chief of administration and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), said monies requested for the Loving work were to make sure Eddy County did not lose money for future grants.

“This will be for the engine bays (and) the workout facilities to keep up with ISO,” he said.

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ISO classifies communities based on performance in emergency communications, fire response, suppression and water supply, read the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website.

“Insurance companies purchasing this data use it to develop underwriting practices-so improved ratings can lead to lower insurance premiums for homes and businesses in many instances,” the website cited.

Gonzales said the Village of Loving provided around $560,000 to remodel sleeping quarters at the fire station.

Once a volunteer fire department, the Village of Loving turned over management of fire operations to Eddy County in 2021.

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Gonzales said the Village of Loving plans to transfer ownership of the fire station through a quit claim deed.

She said the Village plans to donate a fire engine and a tanker truck to Eddy County.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.