The Las Cruces Fire Department has received a nearly $400,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help train 12 firefighters to become certified paramedics.
The Assistance to Firefighter Grant, awarded by FEMA, is for $393,186. To accept the grant, the City of Las Cruces must match 10 percent of the award or about $39,320.
The grant and matching funds will help LCFD bolster its number of paramedics by 12. LCFD currently has 47 certified paramedics across all ranks. Additionally, four LCFD firefighters are in the final phase of the certification process that should be completed by this fall. Five other firefighters began taking classes for paramedic certification this spring. “The grant and matching funds will cover everything needed for the course aside from uniforms,” said Deputy Fire Chief of Operations Justin Allen.