It’s not just fires.
Albuquerque’s firefighters respond to a range of emergencies in addition to fire suppression that include medical emergencies, lost hikers, arroyo flash flood dangers, hazardous materials spills and car accidents in addition to fire prevention, arson investigation, special operations response and public education services. And to reflect its increasingly diverse scope of duties, city officials on Thursday unveiled a new name for the city’s 118-year old fire department – Albuquerque Fire Rescue.
During a news conference at Fire Station 2, the first station to display the new name on its building and apparatus, Mayor Tim Keller said the name change reflects the 106,000 calls Albuquerque firefighters responded to last year, with 93,000 of those medical emergencies.