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Ladder-1

CHARTER MEMBERS
1923

Caldwell, Gerald
Caldwell, Jake
Davis, Pink
Doughty, Ralph
Gray, Dave
Grogan, Lon
Heffernan, Allie
Heffernan, Claude
Howard, R. A.
Keithly, Elmer
Knox, J. W.
Kendall, Harry
Lard, George
Martin, C. W.
Matson, Sam
Oraker, John
Phillips, Cecil
Pitchner, Louis
Sweeney, N. E.
Wilson, Cecil

Truth or Consequences,
New Mexico, EARTH

city_logo_color_from_badge_no_backround_edit

ISO Class 5
All Volunteer

Original-Minutes-1923

FIRE CHIEFS

C. W. MARTIN
1923 - Jan. 2, 1924

ALLIE HEFFERNAN
Jan. 2, 1924 to Jan, 1926

LEO SMITH
Jan. 1926 to Jan. 1928

CECIL WILSON
Jan. 1928 to Jan. 1945

CLYDE COLE
Jan. 1945 to Feb. 1956

JOHN GUTHRIE
Feb. 1956 to Jan. 1957

BOB HELFRICH
Jan. 1957 to Jan. 1960

ALEX RAMOS
Jan. 1960 to Jan. 1961

BILL CULVER
Jan. 1961 to Sept. 1964

WAYNE JOHNSON
Sept. 1964 to Jan. 1969

TIM WELBORN
Jan. 1969 to Jan. 1971

D. L. SCOTT
Jan. 1971 to Sept. 1971

KEG EVANS
Sept. 1971 to Jan. 1972

LEON JOHNSON
Jan. 1972 to Jan. 1977

JIM CROWNOVER
Jan. 1977 to Jan. 1978

TIM WELBORN
Jan. 1978 to March 1981

MIKE O. TOOLEY
March 1981 to 2006

CARL TESTON
Jan. 2007 to Dec. 2007

PAUL E. TOOLEY
Jan. 2008 to Present

TRUTH or CONSEQUENCES
VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

 The Truth or Consequences Volunteer Fire District, established Sept. 2, 1923, carries an Insurance Services Organization (ISO) rating of Class 5, and has a roster of 25 firefighters.

 C. W. Martin was the first fire chief of the Hot Springs Department (now Truth or Consequences, elected when the Department was organized. Other officers of the Department were Cecil Wilson, first captain; Gerald Caldwell, second captain; and Cecil Phillips, third captain.

 Members of the Department were Elmer Keithly, Allie Heffernan, Ralph Doughty, Jake Caldwell, Dave Gray, George Lard, Claude Heffernan, J. W. Knox, Foster Shepherd, Pink Davis, Harry Kendall, John Oreaker, R. A. Howard, L. Petzner, Sam Matson, N. S. Sweeney Jr., who was secretary/treasurer, and Lon Grogan.

 The exact date is not recorded, but at the second meeting, a $5,000 fire at Hoyle's Confectionery was reported. The first was in early September 1923 as the second meeting was held upon the 20th day of that month.

 Hoyle's Confectionery was located just west of what is now the post office and the fire station was just across the street in a shed.

 The firemen had water in tanks on the rear of an old Model T Ford, and used acid and soda for pressure.

 Later, the Fire Department was housed in a shed just south of Valley Motor Supply (now Quality Body Shop) before it finally was moved to its present location.

 A new station is in the process of being constructed on 9th Street between Cedar and Ash Streets. The 9,600 sq. ft. building will be used as an Emergency Operations Center and will house the fire department. The property, known as the Judge Osburn Park was provided to the fire department by the city commission for the construction of the new facility and has approximately 4 acres available for future growth.

 Cost of the new facility is $498,000.

 Allie Heffernan became chief in January 1924 and served two years. Leo Smith became chief in January 1926 and served until January 1927, when Cecil Wilson was named chief. Wilson served 19 years, longer than any other chief, and he resigned in January 1945.

 Clyde Cole then became chief and served until he died Feb. 9, 1956. Johnnie Guthrie first became acting chief on Feb. 28, 1956, and then was named chief.

 Guthrie headed the Department until January 1957, when Bob Helfrich was named to the post. Helfrich was chief until January 1960, when Alex Ramos was elected to the position.

 Ramos served a year, then Bill Culver was elected chief and he served until September 1964, when Wayne Johnson was elected.

 Wayne served as chief until 1969 when Tim Welborn was elected. Tim served until January 1971, when D.L. Scott was elected to the position, resigning in September of that year; his term was finished out by Keg Evans until January 1972.

 Leon Johnson was named chief succeeding Keg Evans and served as chief for five years, through 1976, when Jim Crownover was elected chief in January for the 1977 term.

 Tim Welborn was reelected chief in January 1978 and he served in that capacity until March 1981 when he went to work in Alaska. Assistant Chief Mike Tooley was moved up to the chief's position, replacing Welborn. Mike still is serving the Department as chief at this time.

 The T-or-C Department is equipped with several pumper trucks, the newest being a 1,000 gpm International pumper built by Becker. The department also as a 1250 GPM Telesqurt custom built by Grumman (provided through Monarch Equipment) for the Department; a mini-pumper 1983 Chevrolet (built by B & S Fire), equipped with a 400 GPM Hale pump, has a 1977 model 1250 GPM Penfab (built by Clark), a 1991 model International rescue/utility truck (built by Becker). This truck is equipped with a 4-bottle cascade system capable of filling 85 SCBA's on scene. At the Airport, the department has a 500 GPM GMC (American Barton) pumper..

 A substation is located near the Sierra County Fair Building at the corner of Hyde and Cook streets.

A new fire station was built in 2000 with the department moving into the facility at 310 E. Ninth Avenue in 2001. The facility is 9600 sq. ft. which is twice the size of the old station on South Date. Senator John Arthur Smith of Deming and Liz Bernal of the Council of Governments was instrumental in assisting with funding for building the facility. The facility was dedicated to Chief Mike O. Tooley.