Beginning his third day on the job, Orlando Arriola was settling in Wednesday as the new Ruidoso fire chief. But as chief, he will be fulfilling multiple roles, including fire marshal and emergency manager. The prospect isn’t daunting, he said. It’s something he’s looked forward to most of his life.
“As a boy, I was torn between a fireman and being a cop, just like a lot of boys,”Arriola, former arson investigator, firefighter and fire marshal with the El Paso Fire Department said. “I would find myself taking the role of both and wondering if it ever would be possible to do both. Not until I got into the fire department and made my way into the fire marshal’s office did I realize, yes, it is possible. I was very proud to earn the certifications as the arson investigator and peace officer, and maintained the certification as a firefighter. I can say I fulfilled the dream.”