New Mexico’s fire departments, professional and volunteer, are having a problem finding firefighters.
The House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee approved a bill Monday morning that seeks to help them out.
HB 88 would establish a program through the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration to distribute funds for firefighter recruitment.
“The bill is really important to us and the volunteers and the paid firefighters,” New Mexico State Fire Marshal Randy Varela told the NM Political Report. “Right now we’re losing volunteers throughout the state and at a rapid pace. So, what we’re trying to do is not push the volunteers off, but we’re trying to bring up paid personnel in the rural areas.”
One reason is that volunteer firefighters have their day jobs and families which can affect response time, Varela said.
The committee approved the bill on an 8-to-1 margin with Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, being the sole vote against.
The bill appropriates $35 million from the general fund to DFA in Fiscal Year 25 through FY 27. Any unexpended balances would revert back to the general fund after this.
Legislators passed a similar bill during the 2023 legislative session but was it vetoed due to the lack of an appropriation being present in the bill.
Rep. Cynthia Borrego, D-Albuquerque, Rep. Tara L. Lujan, D-Santa Fe, and Sen. Leo Jaramillo, D-Española, sponsored the legislation.
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