Deb Haaland Meets With Mescalero and Lincoln County Officials on Public Safety, Emergency Management

Ruidoso, NM – Yesterday, Democratic candidate for governor Deb Haaland joined Rep. Melanie Stansbury for emergency management and public safety briefings in Mescalero and Lincoln County. Haaland and Stansbury toured damage from recent natural disasters in Ruidoso and met with local officials to discuss ongoing recovery and preparedness needs. 

Haaland reaffirmed her commitment to protecting state-funded access to New Mexico’s statewide interoperable emergency radio network for Tribal Police, fire, EMS, and dispatch centers. 

Haaland and Stansbury’s visit included the Mescalero Apache Tribe’s new secure facility, which is currently under development. Once completed, the 30,000-square-foot facility will serve as a centralized hub for emergency response– storing water, food, and clothing, and coordinating with FEMA to support both tribal and non-tribal communities during natural disasters.

“As wildfires continue to burn in the north-central region of the state — it is imperative that emergency response teams are fully staffed and funded. In Lincoln County and Mescalero, it’s easy to see how natural disasters will have impacts for years to come — the road to recovery doesn’t end when the flames are out, and the smoke has cleared,” said Haaland. “As governor, I’ll work alongside communities like Ruidoso to rebuild, strengthen our infrastructure, and make sure New Mexico is better prepared for disasters ahead.” 

In Congress, Haaland voted to support municipal firefighters and funding for wildland firefighters. As Secretary of the Interior Department, Haaland gave firefighters a raise and added permanent staff in offices that saw high volumes of fire in their regions. Haaland also increased PTSD support for wildland firefighters at the Department.