Photo: PAVFR Volunteer Fire Fighter, Amos England is ready to operate the new UTV under the supervision of LS Mesa Station First Lieutenant, Mike Moorman

Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire Rescue has added a new vehicle to their fleet. It is a Polaris, six wheel, UTV with water and foam fire fighting in areas that are difficult to access. The new vehicle is housed at the LS Mesa Fire Station. LS Mesa is a location where many of the roads are barely passable dirt tracks that a traditional brush truck could not safely traverse.

To operate the new UTV, Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire Fighters were required to pass an Emergency Vehicle Operations Class geared specifically to UTV driving. The emphasis of the class is on operating the vehicle safely. On Sunday, March 1, nine members of the department completed the training and are qualified to operate the new equipment.

Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire Rescue, a department that covers 150 square miles located north of Silver City, is in need of volunteers, especially at the LS Mesa Station. Though there is fire fighting equipment at the LS Mesa Station, there is a need for additional trained volunteers to operate the equipment and respond to emergencies in the remote area. During inclement weather, Bear Mountain Road, the only access to the area, can be impassable. To provide adequate emergency response in the LS Mesa area, additional volunteers are needed.

To learn more about volunteering, contact Fire Chief Lucy Whitmarsh at 575-574-8394 or lmwk@dishmail.net.