NM firefighters charge steeper standby fees

Firefighters previously charged $10 to volunteer for all-day events, but now will charge up to $210 per hour at times

May 16, 2011 06:00 AM

By Ryan Boetel
The Daily Times

AZTEC, N.M. — Save you from a burning building? Sure. Stand by and watch you race a car or ride a bull? Not without a paycheck.

San Juan County’s volunteer firefighters will now charge more than $200 per hour at times to be on standby at for-profit events.

The firefighters would reliably volunteer in the past to be on standby for all-day events for a $10 stipend, Fire Chief Doug Hatfield said.

The firefighters will charge between $77 and $210 per hour to be on standby at the Aztec Speedway and during Farmington rodeos. The San Juan County Commission approved the new fees.

“They’re starting to get burned out,” Hatfield said. Firefighters “have flat-out declined to go out there.”

The department will not charge to work standby during nonprofit and children’s events, such as the Wee Waddie Rodeo and the 4-H Fair.

All the $210-per-hour events are at the Aztec Speedway because the firefighters must bring a fire truck to the events. Hiring a county firefighter for every event would cost the track more than $35,000 per year, according to county documents.

“That’s more than our entire budget,” said Jason Sandel, who owns the race track.

“Folks have put their blood, sweat and tears into that facility. An expense like what the county’s considering would be devastating.”

The fire department considered charging children and non-profit events $28 per hour to have the fire department standby. Instead the charge to for-profit events will cover the firefighters’ fees for working standby at the non-profit events.

“I honestly don’t feel we’re going to get volunteers that will go out and standby if they don’t receive some sort of payment that makes it worth their while,” Hatfield said.

The firefighters who work the events will receive between $16 and $20 per hour depending on their experience. The remainder of the cost is for fire department equipment, Hatfield said.

“I for the life of me don’t know why we have never charged for-profits,” San Juan County Commission Chairman Tony Atkinson said. “I thought they were paying all along ... I see a lot of problems with us not charging for-profits.”

Hatfield said the county’s rates for firefighters to be on standby at an event are comparable to what other fire departments charge.

Sandel said the speedway is looking at cheaper ways to comply with International Motor Contest Association safety regulations. An alternative to the county’s fire department would be to hire paramedics or firefighters individually. Other options could be to cancel events or raise ticket prices.

“The track is not a very profitable enterprise, it’s something that is done on behalf of the community,” Sandel said. “Coming in and increasing the fees for us is going to be overwhelming.”