Frequently Asked Questions
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, submit a written request to the Fire Prevention Division. You can mail it to 35 Camino Justicia, Santa Fe, NM 87508; fax it to 505-992-3065; or e-mail it to memontoya@santafecounty.org. 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. We have put together an ISO information sheet which will tell you what the ISO Rating is for your area.
Q. The fire district in my area has two ISO rating numbers. Yet my insurance company tells me that my house falls under the higher rating of the two. Why is that?
A. Per ISO requirements, you must be within 1,000' of a pressurized water source in order to qualify for the lower rating.
Q. I understand the County is currently in burn restrictions, can I still use my charcoal grill?
A. No, this is considered an open flame fire. For more information on burn restrictions in Santa Fe County, please see our Open Burning web page.
Q. My Home Association has been discussing a neighborhood clean up. Does the County have anything in place that can assist us in clearing out debris?
A. The County Fire Department does have a "Chipper Days Program". To find out more information you can visit our Wildfires web page.
Q. My family is splitting up a piece of property into 4 lots. I was told by the County Land Use Office that the Fire Department would require a water storage system. Is this true?
A. If it is in a rural area that currently does not have a community water system. Yes. Any land divisions of 4 or more lots will be required to put in a 30,000 gallon water storage and draft hydrant system and each future residential structure will be required to install a sprinkler system. (This meets the NFPA 1231 Rural Fire Fighting requirement of 250 gallons a minute for 2 hours)
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.
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".
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 your driveway or road exceeds 150', 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 here for more information on approved turn arounds.
Q. I am clearing the tumbleweeds from my yard and can't burn them because the County is currently in burn restrictions. What should I do with them?
A. If there are not too many of them, you could bag them in the large trash bags and take them to the land fill, but if there are too many to do that, you could put them in small piles and compress them.
Q. If we are being required to put in a 30,000 gallon water tank for a draft hydrant, why do we need to sprinkler the homes in that subdivision/area?
A. Please keep in mind that each of the fire districts in Santa Fe County are Volunteer and majority are in non-hydranted or non-pressure hydranted areas. By sprinklering your home, you are increasing the chances or your home surviving a fire with limited fire damage. To see the difference in a sprinklered and non-sprinklered home, you can download this clip.
Q. I live in a gated community, does the fire department have access for emergencies?
A. The Homeowner's/Neighborhood Association can download a copy of the KNOX brochure and then contact the Prevention Division for an order form to purchase a Knox lock 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. How fast can a Christmas tree fire spread throughout my house?
A. A dry Christmas tree fire can spread quite quickly to the rest of your home. For an accurate example you can download a clip from NIST. Included in the clip are a cigarette on a couch and cubicle fire. It is very important that if you have a live Christmas tree you keep it well watered, turn the lights off when you are not at home or sleeping and most importantly have smoke detectors throughout your home. Keep in mind as you watch the clips that a smoke detector would play a critical part in notifying a family of a fire. You can see the smoke filling the room from the ceiling and moving down like a curtain as the fire spreads.
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. It is used to indicate the potential for wildfire growth by measuring the stability and dryness of the air over a fire. The drier and more unstable the lower atmosphere is, the higher index.
This index has been shown to correlate with large fire growth on wildfires where surface wind does not dominate fire behavior. The Haines Index ranges from 2 to 6.
Q. Are there any restrictions on fireworks in Santa Fe County?
A. To find out more information on acceptable fire works within the County you can go to our Open Burning web page.
Q. What fire code does Santa Fe County Fire Department currently utilize?
A. On August 14, 1998, the Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners approved Ordinance 1998-11 adopting the 1997 Uniform Fire Code (UFC).
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