Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Officials discuss fire department role in county

A retreat was held to form goals for the city.

PORTALES — The Portales City Council decided Saturday morning to meet with Roosevelt County administration to evaluate the relationship between the Portales Fire Department and the county.

In a retreat at the Memorial Building to form goals for the city, Mayor Sharon King asked Councilor Michael Miller, Fire Chief Gary Nuckols and City Manager Sammy Standefer to meet with Roosevelt County Manager Amber Hamilton about service for county residents.

The conversation came about after Nuckols expressed a need to increase employee pay.

Councilor Jessica Smith suggested increasing the amount billed to Roosevelt County for emergency services ($30,000 a year) to help offset the cost of pay increases to employees.

Miller, however, stated that a discussion with county administration would be preferable to raising rates.

“On some of these issues, with the fact that EMS is declining out there, I think we could have a serious discussion as to how do we solve this issue together, instead of, ‘You owe us this,’” Miller said. “Because when we get into, ‘You owe us this,’ they’re going to get into, ‘We owe you that,’ and I’ve been through it four different times

“I don’t think money should even be brought up at that point in time. I think it should be a discussion of ‘How are we going to take care of these people out here without them having to wait?’”

“The ones who lose are our citizens,” Standefer added, in summary.

Nuckols maintained that emergencies in the county would demand a response regardless of what is being paid.

“I know people from every corner of this county, and to not respond to a medical call or a trauma or whatever is just not in my book,” he said.

Miller attributed the higher demand for the department’s services in the county on a lack of man power in volunteer fire departments.

“It’s a bigger problem, just because people aren’t volunteering anymore. The requirements now, that the state has put on, not only for firefighting, but for EMS; here’s a volunteer, and all of a sudden they’re having to pay out of their pocket all this money, but more importantly, all this time (for training),” said Miller.

The council also discussed a desire to secure space for a new police station, to which Standefer countered with the possibility of city hall one day coexisting with the police department.

“We could definitely entertain that as we get into further discussion,” Standefer said.

“I think this is another reason that we need to have a 10-year plan. Let’s look at all of our needs that we foresee at this point for 10 years and prioritize them,” said King.

 
 
Rendered 03/05/2024 01:00