Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue

Serving the community means taking care of the place we all call home.

Rio Rancho Fire & Rescue is proud to support Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful's Community Clean-up on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 8 to 10 a.m.

Individuals, families, neighborhood groups, businesses, and organizations are all welcome to participate. Registered volunteers will receive trash bags and personal protective equipment before the event.

📅 Saturday, Sept. 26 | 8–10 a.m.
🔔 Register by Sept. 18
👉 http://rrnm.gov/krrb

Take pride in our community and help keep Rio Rancho beautiful!

Rio Rancho Fire Rescue is proud to recognize Battalion Chief Jessica Duron-Martinez for completing the National Fire Academy’s prestigious Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program.
Chief Duron-Martinez becomes the 46th EFO graduate from New Mexico, the second female EFO graduate in the state, the fifth EFO graduate from Rio Rancho Fire Rescue, and the first female EFO graduate in department history.

Admission into the two-year Executive Fire Officer Program is highly competitive. For Chief Duron-Martinez’s cohort, 500 fire service leaders from across the nation applied, with only 150 selected to participate in the program.

The EFO Program is the National Fire Academy’s premier executive leadership development program, designed to prepare fire and EMS leaders to address complex organizational, leadership, and community challenges.

As part of the program, Chief Duron-Martinez completed her capstone research paper, “Beyond Promotion: Mentorship and Leadership Readiness in the Fire Service.” Her research examined mentorship, leadership preparedness, and the development of future leaders within the fire service, emphasizing the importance of preparing members not simply for promotion, but for leadership.

Chief Duron-Martinez also earned a Master of Public Administration in Organizational Leadership and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

Her continued work focuses on mentorship, leadership development, and investing in the next generation of fire service leaders through a philosophy of Learn & Return: Train. Apply. Multiply.

Congratulations, Chief Duron-Martinez, on this significant professional achievement and for continuing to represent Rio Rancho Fire Rescue and the New Mexico fire service with dedication.

First Photo:
Paul Matheis, U.S. Fire Administrator

Second & Third Photo:
Group 7 of EFO Cohort Graduation

On behalf of Rio Rancho Fire Rescue, we want to thank Legacy Church for your generous and thoughtful donation of new thermal imaging cameras.

For those who may not know what a thermal imaging camera is, or don’t work in the fire service, these may just look like another piece of equipment, but for us these cameras can make a tremendous difference.

Whenever firefighters enter into a burning building they may be dealing with zero visibility, extreme heat and rapidly changing conditions. These cameras allow us to see what our eyes cannot and make tough decision decisions in even tougher situations and help us to perform our jobs better get home safely to our families.

Donations like this a reminder that public safety is truly a community effort and we want to thank Legacy Church for recognizing the importance of what our firefighters and EMS providers do every day.

Thank you for investing in our community, we’re incredibly blessed and grateful for your generosity.

Thank you again to Pastor Jason and all of Legacy Church for your support of RRFR.

It’s baby quail season! 🐥

Our crews respond to baby quail rescue calls quite often during the summer months as quail families are on the move and young chicks can become separated from their parents. In both of our recent rescues, the chicks had fallen into storm drains.

If you come across baby quail or other young wildlife, the best thing you can do is leave them where they are. Well-intentioned attempts to move or handle them can make it harder for them to reunite with their family.

If you’re concerned that an animal is injured or truly in distress, give Rio Rancho Fire Rescue a call. We’ll assess the situation and coordinate with the appropriate wildlife resources to ensure the animal receives the care it needs.

Our Fire Prevention Team had a great time visiting the students at Springstone Montessori School!

During the visit, firefighters helped students become familiar with what firefighters look like while wearing full protective gear, helping reduce fear in the event of an emergency. The team also shared age-appropriate fire safety lessons, including what to do if they ever encounter a fire and how firefighters are there to help.

We love opportunities to connect with the youngest members of our community and help build confidence through fire safety education. Thank you to Springstone Montessori School for welcoming us!

Congratulations to the newest members promoted within Rio Rancho Fire Rescue.

On Friday, we had the privilege of recognizing the hard work, dedication, and leadership of four Fire Medics, two Captains, one Battalion Chief, and one Deputy Chief as they officially took the next step in their careers.

Promotions represent more than a new rank—they reflect years of commitment to serving our community, supporting one another, and continually striving for excellence.

Please join us in congratulating each of these members on this well-earned achievement. We look forward to seeing the positive impact they’ll continue to make for our department and the citizens we serve.

On July 11, at approximately 2:00 a.m., Rio Rancho Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the area of Southern Blvd. and 60th St. NW for reports of a side-by-side rollover with multiple injured occupants. Due to the location of the crash, the Rio Grande Basin Rescue Team was activated to assist with a high-angle rope rescue operation.

Upon arrival, crews found the side-by-side had rolled to the bottom of a steep ravine. One occupant was able to self-extricate, while the remaining five patients were safely rescued using technical rope rescue systems.

Several patients sustained serious injuries. Two were airlifted to UNM Hospital by Classic Air Medical and CareFlight, while the remaining patients were transported by ground ambulance with assistance from Rio Rancho Fire Rescue and Sandoval County Fire Rescue.

This incident highlights the importance of interagency collaboration during complex emergencies. The coordinated efforts of Rio Rancho Fire Rescue, the Rio Grande Basin Rescue Team, Sandoval County Fire Rescue, our law enforcement partners, air medical crews, and emergency dispatchers allowed all six patients to be safely extricated from a challenging environment and rapidly transported for definitive care.

We are grateful for the professionalism, teamwork, and dedication demonstrated by everyone involved in this response.

On July 8 at approximately 16:50, Rio Rancho Fire Rescue crews responded to reports of a residential structure fire. Battalion 5 arrived on scene and established command of a confirmed working attic fire.

Firefighters made an aggressive interior attack, quickly bringing the fire under control before completing extinguishment and overhaul operations. The home was then turned back over to the homeowners.

There were no reported injuries.

On July 6, at 17:20, Rio Rancho Fire Rescue units were dispatched to multiple reports of an apartment fire.

Engine 10 arrived on scene and established command of an exterior fire that was threatening a nearby apartment building. As a precaution, all occupants of the building were evacuated while crews worked to contain the fire.

The fire was quickly brought under control. Crews conducted a thorough assessment for fire extension into the structure and ventilated the building to remove smoke. The fire did not extend into the occupied apartments, and residents were subsequently allowed to return to their homes.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.