Hondo Volunteer Fire District
The Hondo Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1974 by the Homeowners Associations of Arroyo Hondo and Sunlit Hills because the city was unable to provide fire protection to our communities. Hondo bought our first pumper for $1250 from Albuquerque and stored it in a large horse barn in Arroyo Hondo. The pumper froze during the winter and in the spring of 1975 we built Station 1. Our first supply of bunker gear was donated by a fire department in New York. The Hondo Fire District publishes a bi-annual newsletter called the "Alarm" and has a very active Auxiliary group. Our 50 or so current members range in age from teenagers to senior citizens and come from all walks of life including artists, lawyers, doctors, students, scientists, office workers, real estate agents, self-employed, retirees, bankers, designers and so on. The district's volunteers respond to approximately 500 calls per year, and the district has several members who have achieved state and national emergency medical technician qualifications as well as federal advanced wildland firefighting qualifications and certifications.
Insurance Services Organization (ISO) Rating for the Hondo Volunteer Fire District (5/9):ISO collects information (such as nearest water supply, fire station, station staffing, paid or volunteer, number of personnel, number and type of fire trucks, pumping capacity, etc.) on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. Based on the information a numerical rating is given to the area which is used by insurance companies to determine premiums. The Santa Fe County Fire Department is set up to meet/exceed the NFPA 1231 Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Firefighting requirement of 250 gallons of water per minute for 2 hours. Because of this, there is currently, not a district in the County that has a class 10 rating. Lower ISO ratings apply to specific areas and subdivisions in the district with a hydranted water supply or inspected water source within 1,000 feet of a residence or 500 feet of a commercial business. Higher ISO ratings apply district wide where there are no hydrants or inspected water sources within 1,000 feet of a residence or 500 feet of a commercial business.
|
The Hondo Fire District is situated in the east central portion of Santa Fe County and is responsible for providing fire and emergency medical services to the communities of Arroyo Hondo, Sunlit Hills, La Barberia Canyon/Overlook, Canoncito at Apache Canyon, Canada de Los Alamos, Old Santa Fe Trail corridor, Old Las Vegas Highway corridor, Nine Mile Road, I-25 corridor, Campos Conejos, Rabbit Road, Old Galisteo Road, Arroyo Hondo Estates, Camp Stoney, Seton Village, Rancho de San Sebastian, Timberwick, Cerros Negros and Hondo Hills out of two stations located at #21 Seaton Village Rd. and #645 Old Las Vegas Hwy. near US Hwy. 285. The District is also home to the Eastern Region paid paramedic crew (Med 80). As a growing community the district assists and receives aid from other agencies including, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, NM State Police, Santa Fe Police Department, Santa Fe Fire Department, NM State Forestry, US Forest Service, as well as several other Santa Fe County Districts.