RATON — Raton Fire and Emergency Services Chief Jim Mathews spoke to the Raton City Commission at their regular meeting Tuesday, March 10, and gave them a rundown on activities and duties of the department. RFES has become a multi-task department that includes not just basic fire fighting and ambulance services, but have also been tasked with code enforcement, zoning, hazmat, community training, building inspections including fire suppression systems and a host of other small jobs. Chief Mathews said most of the work being done at the station on West Troy was being done in house by the department’s men under the eye of a contractor, to ensure the construction met code. The department is certified to do CPR and firefighter training, enabling them to train new recruits from their own and other departments. Training includes basic and advanced first aid. He said training for his certified employees is always ongoing and they are working on instructor certifications for other disciplines in the fire service. Chief Mathews joked that
most of the time department heads come asking for money, but he wasn’t here to do that. Instead he gave a run down of monies the department actually brings into the city. Last year, the department added $1,040,000 to the general fund through the various things it is involved in. In other commission business, they approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Colfax County and Raton Police Department for dispatch services and a mutual aid agreement with Springer Fire Department and Raton Fire and Emergency Services. These agreements are renewals of existing agreements that have been in effect for years. They approved resolution 2015-08, the application for the repaving of Hospital Drive, and also approved the cost proposal for engineering services for the drainage issues on Cook and Park Avenues. They also approved the agreement with Raton Country Club to lease the city’s Governmental Liquor License and two permits for Raton Main Street’s Hops and Vines event on April 11, 2015. City Manager Scott Berry said work on the south interchange off I-25 is expected to begin in the next two to three weeks. There will be some inconveniences getting off the interstate into south Raton during the construction process. He noted that Congressman Ben Ray Lujan will be in Raton March 12, for a visit dealing with economic development and veterans’ issues. City crews are gearing up for summer, which includes cleaning out drainage ditches in Raton as well as work on the ball fields. Potholes are also a top priority. The commission then went into executive session to discuss their collective bargaining session that is up and coming. The commission will meet again on March 24 at 6 pm and that meeting will be aired on KRTN AM 1490.
