To help save you time, we have put together the following list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Click on questions to view or hide the answers.
Q. How do I get a hold of my local fire district?
A. You can try the district's phone number. But please keep in mind that each district in Santa Fe County is a Volunteer Department. You can leave a message if they have an answering machine, but if you do not get a response, feel free to contact Santa Fe County Fire Administration at 505-992-3070.
Q. How do I get a copy of a fire report?
A. To get a copy of the fire report for your incident, you will need to fill out the Santa Fe County Public Records Request Formand submit to the Fire Administration Office. The Fire Administration Office is located at 35 Camino Justicia. You can also email it to Frances Martinez at fdmartinez@santafecountynm.gov, if you have questions please call 505-992-3070. Be sure to include the date and address of the incident and the type of incident (i.e.: house fire, car fire, etc..).
A. In all honesty the fire department cannot utilize water storage less than 10,000 gallons. Each of our trucks pumps anywhere from 500 to 1,500 gallons a minute. It would take longer to hook the truck up to the system than it would to drain it.
Q. How do I know if my address is part of the 911 Rural Addressing System?
A. If you obtained a 911 Rural Address number from the County Rural Addressing Office, it should come up on the Regional Emergency Communication Center (RECC) system when you call 911. To verify your emergency address or for more information you can contact the County Rural Addressing department at 505-995-2732.
Q. How do I find the ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating for my area?
A.The ISO rating is listed under the attached link: ISO Information
It is also located on the Fire Department main page in the Quick Links section. If you have any questions you can contact the Fire Prevention/Risk Reduction Division at 505-995-6523 or fireprevention@santafecountynm.gov
Q. Why do I have to pay an Impact Fee when I build?
A. Impact Fees go towards each fire district. They are used towards the purchase of equipment and apparatus in order to meet the growing needs of that district.
Q. How can I find out where the nearest fire hydrant is to my house?
A. In the future, we hope to have that capability available on our website. For now, you can contact the Santa Fe County Fire Prevention Division at 505-995-6523 or fireprevention@santafecountynm.gov.
Q. How can I help the fire department get to my house quickly in the event of the emergency?
A. Verify your address with Santa Fe County Rural Addressing. When you call 911 know your exact address and have directions readily available. For example: If you head West on State Road 502 and turn left at County Road 101D, then turn right onto County Road 84, I am at house ABC. You also need to make sure that your address is visible at the entrance, from both directions. If you have a house number on your house, but your house is far away from the road, we cannot see it.
Q. What are the County Fire requirements for road widths?
A. All roads shall be a 20' all weather driving surface, all driveways shall be a 14' all weather driving surface and both shall have a vertical clearance of 13' 6". For additional information regarding fire apparatus access road turnarounds for residential and commercial developments select the links below:
Commercial Development and Residential Subdivisions
Single Residential Lots
If you have additional questions contact the Fire Prevention/Risk Reduction Division at 505-995-6523 or fireprevention@santafecountynm.gov
Q. When I submitted my development application to the Land Use office I was told I had to create a turn around, does this mean a cul-de-sac?
A. If you are required to create a turn around for fire department apparatus. This does not necessarily mean a cul-de-sac. It could be a hammer-head or Y-Turn style. Click herefor more information on approved turn arounds.
Q. I live in a gated community, does the fire department have access for emergencies?
A. The Homeowner's/Neighborhood Association can go to knoxbox.com and purchase a Knox lock, Knox switch or Knox box to keep gate codes or keys. The lock or box is cored with a Santa Fe County Fire Department key core. Each district has a key that will work with that core.
Q. What is a red flag warning?
A. A term used by fire-weather forecasters to call attention to limited weather conditions of particular importance that may result in extreme burning conditions. It is issued when it is an on-going event or the fire weather forecaster has a high degree of confidence that Red Flag criteria will occur within 24 hours of issuance. Red Flag criteria occurs whenever a geographical area has been in a dry spell for a week or two, or for a shorter period , if before spring green-up or after fall color, and the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) is high to extreme and the following forecast weather parameters are forecasted to be met:1) a sustained wind average 15 mph or greater 2) relative humidity less than or equal to 25 percent and 3) a temperature of greater than 75 degrees F. In some states, dry lightning and unstable air are criteria. A Fire Weather Watch may be issued prior to the Red Flag Warning.
Q. What is the Haines Index?
A. Haines Index (HI) Is a numerical value that indicates the potential for large wildfires to experience extreme fire behavior. The HI combines both the instability and dryness of the air by examining the lapse rate between two pressure levels in the atmosphere and the dryness of one of the pressure levels.
Q. What fire code does Santa Fe County Fire Department currently utilize?
A. On December 2018, the Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners approved Ordinance 2018-08 adopting the 2015 International Fire Code and the 2015 Wildland-Urban Interface Code.
