
Chief Edgar Davalos said the rating system ranges from one to 10 – ten being the worst – and Deming’s rating has dropped from a five to a four.
Davalos said the recent purchase of a three-million gallon water tank and accompanying water distribution equipment helped lower the rate. A new ladder truck helped with the rating drop as well.
Also, he said, the department continues to improve service… including dispatch and firefighter training. The lower rate means homeowners within the Deming city limits may see lower insurance rates.
Davalos encouraged residents to mention the lower ISO rating to their insurance provider during annual renewal
negotiations. Also, Davalos mentioned acquiring a Stryker ambulance load assist device as another advance in the department.
Deming is the first department in the state to acquire the lift, which raises the patient to ambulance level instead of requiring
emergency responders to lift the patient into the ambulance. The cost of the device was 32-thousand dollars, and it was
purchased with a Trauma Fund grant.