BACKGROUND
McKinley County is situated in the western-most portion of the state, bordering Arizona. With 21 fire stations and 240 firefighters, 10 of which are paid, the McKinley County Fire Rescue (MCFR) team responds to 4,500 calls per year. Their territory includes 70 miles of Interstate 40 and an additional 100 square miles that includes large parts of Navajo Nation. As the Chief, Lawrence Montoya considers it an honor to help serve his community and does not take his role lightly: keeping his team as safe as possible.
CHALLENGE
Just like departments across the country, MCFR has difficulties with recruiting new firefighters. In a world vying for one’s time and the constant hum of inflation in the background, Chief Montoya understands that it is hard to volunteer one’s limited time. In addition to recruitment struggles, the department is quickly aging, as only 10% of the department is under the age of 40. Facing these challenges, Chief Montoya turned to his team to propose creative solutions.
“There is functionality and options to SAM BOOST that I didn’t even expect, like having real-time knowledge of the amount of water in the truck while being inside a burning building. That is invaluable.”
SOLUTION
With an aging department, the discovery of their solution came from an unlikely source: TikTok. After reaching out to the influencer on social media, Captain Rich Austin reached out to Akron Brass to schedule a demo of the SAM BOOST system. Like many things on the internet, Captain Austin was fearful that what he saw online would not match his real-world expectations. However, after his first interaction with the SAM BOOST system, he was already asking about the cost effectiveness of the retrofit to install on their engines. After introducing the system to the team, Chief Montoya was convinced it was the solution for which they had been hoping. “SAM BOOST helps us take a big step forward in trying to overcome short staffing issues while keeping in mind firefighter safety. As a fire chief, my goal is to make sure my firefighters are safe, and SAM BOOST allows me to have more confidence. When we do have short staff on structure fires, even when fighting defensively, SAM BOOST allows them to get a quicker initial attack while staying safe.”
RESULTS
From the beginning, the MCFR was pleasantly surprised by the efficiency and reliability of SAM BOOST. Chief Montoya notes an unexpected benefit of SAM BOOST, “There is functionality and options to SAM BOOST that I didn’t even expect, like having real-time knowledge of the amount of water in the truck while being inside a burning building. That is invaluable.” Further, the changes in color indicate when the pumper has secured a sustained water supply, which allows firefighters to adjust tactics in real-time. Overall, SAM BOOST has increased volunteer engagement with members attending more trainings, increased efficiency of limited firefighters responding to fires as two people can deploy two lines and suppress faster compared to one person on the nozzle and one on the truck without SAM BOOST and increased direct communication with fellow firefighters on the fire ground. Further, Chief Montoya noted the tech support behind the system with accessible and responsive team members. Speaking about public perception, Chief Montoya noted that he is “proud to say that we are moving to a brighter, bigger future, while keeping the community and our firefighters safe, without using additional personnel. We are excited to be the first Fire Department in New Mexico to implement the SAM BOOST System.”
IMPACT
Just a few weeks ago, a 17-year-old daughter of the Fire Captain came into the MCFR station. As the Chief, Lawrence encourages family members to visit the station in an effort to support the whole family and also to receive more holistic feedback. Chief Montoya spoke with the Captain’s daughter and asked if she had seen any changes with her father in the service in the past few months (Chief Montoya took over the position in the Fall of 2023). She responded, “I feel safer now when my dad goes on a call than before. SAM BOOST is one of the major reasons I feel safer when my dad goes out and fights fires.” Chief Montoya said “We are proud to be advancing and progressing the fire system. It increases safety, but also increases our recruitment efforts as people want to be ahead of the times and on the progressive side of the industry.”
“SAM BOOST helps us take a big step forward in trying to overcome short staffing issues while keeping in mind firefighter safety. As a fire chief, my goal is to make sure my firefighters are safe, and SAM BOOST allows me to have more confidence. When we do have short staff on structure fires, even when fighting defensively, SAM BOOST allows them to get a quicker initial attack while staying safe.”
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