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Las Cruces Gets New Fire Station

 

http://youtu.be/JDf7Z5iEpSo

 

A new fire station in Las Cruces is now in service, but its permanent home will not be open until the fall of 2013.
 
Diego Salas always wanted to become a fire fighter.
 
"I love it. I love it very much," he said.
 
And eight months into the job, Salas is busier than ever.
 
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world and I can say that with all honesty. It’s very rewarding and it’s a great job,” he said.
 
Salas is part of a new fire house located just off of Highway 10.  It's the latest addition to the department in years.
 
Fire station 7 will service the west Mesa which includes the Las Cruces airport and the far west city limits reducing the amount of respond time in this area in half.
 
“The faster we can get the person that needs help, the better – no matter what it is, we definitely want to get there faster and safe so we can help them out,” he said.
 
Until the crew moves into its permanent home in the fall of 2013, fire fighters will be working out of a temporary building.  
 
“We applied for a federal grant that is actually funding the nine positions for the fire department to open, this new station for a period of two years,” said battalion chief Kristen Andersen.
 
Leaders with the city say they plan to use the new location for training as well.
 
“We have an extra engine on the streets, before we have six engine company, two truck companies, now we will have 7 engine company, two truck company and that will, it’s a another resources we can put on the street," said Andersen.

Carlos Correa previously served as KRWG's News Director. He covered stories throughout the area, and previously anchored the weekly program Fronteras-A Changing America, which airs Thursday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 5:30pm, and Sunday at 11:30am on KRWG-TV.