AFR adding NE Heights paramedic unit

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With a rise in emergency calls and resources stretched thin, Albuquerque Fire Rescue is bringing in reinforcements. The department is trying out a new paramedic unit that will respond to lower-risk emergency calls.

Lieutenant Fejer says Medic 9 will cover calls related to substance abuse and mental health. It will be housed at Station 9 near Eubank and Menaul and focus on responding to calls across the Northeast Heights.

Medic 9 is a paramedic unit that made its debut on Saturday, with the hope that it will ease the growing burden in northeast Albuquerque and free up other crews to handle bigger emergencies. “Typically in the warmer months is when we start seeing an increase in call volume in kind of our lower acuity EMS calls which is what this truck is going to focus on,” says Lt. Jason Fejer of the Albuquerque Fire Department.

This is the third medic unit AFR has added since 2022. All of the staff are temporarily working overtime to manage the unit which will have one paramedic and one EMT on board. “So they volunteered for it, they wrote letters, and then they were selected based on certain criteria and so they’re the ones that are going to staff this,” says Lt. Jason Fejer.

Lieutenant Fejer says Medic 9 is also fully fitted for addressing structure fires if the need arises. He adds they will review the unit’s impact in August to determine if they will make it permanent.

“If it proves that it is effective and we can secure the funding for it, they’d like to put it in service full-time,” says Lt. Fejer.

State lawmakers approved nearly $300,000 to staff the program for the next four months.

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