Overview:
Democratic New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland, a member of Laguna Pueblo, joined U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury in Mescalero and Lincoln County on Friday for briefings on emergency management, public safety and disaster recovery.
Haaland and Stansbury toured areas of Ruidoso affected by recent natural disasters and met with local officials to discuss long-term recovery, infrastructure and emergency preparedness.
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Democratic candidate for governor Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) joined U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury on Friday for emergency management and public safety briefings in Mescalero and Lincoln County, where the two toured damage from recent natural disasters in Ruidoso and met with local officials about ongoing recovery and emergency preparedness needs.
During the visit, Haaland reaffirmed her commitment to protecting state-funded access to New Mexico’s statewide interoperable emergency radio network for Tribal police, firefighters, emergency medical services and dispatch centers.
Haaland and Stansbury also toured the Mescalero Apache Tribe’s new secure emergency response facility, which is currently under development.
The 30,000-square-foot facility is being designed as a centralized hub for emergency response. Once completed, it will store water, food and clothing and coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support both Tribal and non-Tribal communities during natural disasters.
“As wildfires continue to burn in the north-central region of the state — it is imperative that emergency response teams are fully staffed and funded,” Haaland said. “In Lincoln County and Mescalero, it’s easy to see how natural disasters will have impacts for years to come — the road to recovery doesn’t end when the flames are out, and the smoke has cleared.”
Haaland said that, if elected governor, she would work with communities such as Ruidoso on rebuilding efforts, infrastructure improvements and disaster preparedness.
“As governor, I’ll work alongside communities like Ruidoso to rebuild, strengthen our infrastructure, and make sure New Mexico is better prepared for disasters ahead,” she said.
Haaland has pointed to her record in Congress and as U.S. secretary of the Interior in discussing her approach to emergency response and wildland firefighting.
While serving in Congress, Haaland voted to support municipal firefighters and funding for wildland firefighters. As Interior secretary, she increased firefighter pay and added permanent staff to offices in regions experiencing high volumes of wildfires.
The visit to Mescalero and Lincoln County comes as communities across New Mexico continue to face the long-term impacts of wildfires and other natural disasters. For Tribal communities, emergency preparedness also requires coordination among Tribal governments, local officials and federal agencies.
The Mescalero Apache Tribe’s planned emergency response facility reflects that need, providing a centralized location to help coordinate resources and services for communities during future disasters.
