Facing a nationwide decline in volunteerism, Taos County Fire and Rescue has restructured its rural emergency services, consolidating several neighboring volunteer fire departments into merged regional districts.

Under New Mexico state statute, volunteer fire districts must maintain at least 10 active personnel on their rosters. As changing lifestyles and demanding work schedules led to shrinking volunteer numbers in rural areas, maintaining standalone crews in every community became increasingly difficult. Rather than closing understaffed stations, Taos County Fire and Rescue Chief Mike Cordova spearheaded a series of strategic mergers that reduced the county’s active volunteer districts.

For Cordova, now in his 11th year as county fire chief, the mission is personal. He began his own fire service career as a volunteer in his hometown of Questa, starting on EMS calls before earning his EMT license, taking on driving roles, and advancing through emergency fire and EMS services. Without a traditional college degree, Cordova built his leadership path from the ground up, driven by a commitment to community safety and local volunteers.

Under the new structure, neighboring communities have been paired into unified districts. Costilla and Amalia now make up Taos County Fire District 1, while Latir and Cerro have joined to form District 2. Similar consolidations were enacted for Lama and San Cristóbal (District 3) and Carson, Ojo Caliente, and Tres Piedras (District 4). Municipal fire departments, such as the Village of Questa, remain separate entities.

Cordova emphasized that the decision was driven by the practical reality of maintaining emergency coverage for rural residents. “Per state statute, you have to have at least 10 people on a volunteer roster. And there were some districts in the county where we didn’t have that. So instead of shutting down the district, we decided to do mergers,” Cordova said. “It was really out of necessity.”

Operationally, the mergers eliminate the delay of multiple dispatches. When a call comes in, personnel across both combined communities receive a single, simultaneous page, putting more responders and water apparatus on scene faster. The consolidation also provides a financial benefit for local homeowners by improving ISO (Insurance Services Office) ratings. By pooling equipment, volunteer rosters, and water storage capacity—including fixed 40,000-gallon suppression tanks—merged areas will qualify for lower ISO scores, directly reducing property insurance premiums.