ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque Fire Rescue Chief Emily Jaramillo is the first woman to serve as Fire Chief in the department’s 123-year history. As a former teacher, Jaramillo was compelled to switch careers when she had a recruiter come talk to her class.
This week on the New Mexico News Insiders Podcast, Chief Jaramillo joins Chris and Gabby to discuss the challenges and fulfilling parts of the job. She also discusses a contentious City Council meeting that had her in the hot seat defending a controversial staffing change she believes will improve response times in the city and ultimately help save lives in an emergency.
Some local firefighters addressed the staffing plan during public comment, accusing Chief Jaramillo of abandoning their two-paramedic rescue system and going against the so-called ‘gold standard.’ However, Chief Jaramillo claims her plan would provide quicker life-saving response to patients in an emergency, and says firefighters will have a chance to improve their EMS skills by rotating between trucks…