Edgewood Volunteer Fire District
The Edgewood Fire Department was organized in 1964 with ten volunteers, only hand equipment such as shovels, rakes, and gunnysacks to fight grass fires. The Fire District had undetermined boundaries and a population of approximately 1,500 residents. In 1965, the Department acquired a 1950s model fire engine from the city of Deming and a small two-bay building that served as its station. The building was later expanded into the Edgewood Volunteer Fire Department main station. About a year later a surplus army truck was converted into a tanker and put into service. Over the next thirty years the department built a new main station, three substations, and added fourteen modern pieces of fire and rescue apparatus. In the 1980s, an ambulance was added and the name of the department was changed to the Edgewood Fire and Ambulance Service. In the 1990s the department was covering 112 square miles and had forty volunteers. A new 228,000 sq. foot Walmart was recently built in the city of Edgewood.
District Chief Solinski was raised in Michigan where he obatined a bachelor degree in surveying engineering in 2000 and moved to New Mexico in 2005 to enjoy the diverse culture, spectacular weather, and natural beauty the State has to offer. Having grown up in a rural part of Michigan where the only fire and emergency medical services were volunteer based, he decided to continue the tradition of his grandfather and in 2007, joined the Edgewood Volunteer Fire District. Since joining the department, Tim has completed the Santa Fe County Fire Fighter I course, obtained numerous vehicle extrication, wildland firefighting, and fire officer certifications and was elected as the District Chief in January 2013. District Chief Solinski is married and has a young daughter. When asked why he volunteers, District Chief Solinski stated, “I understand the necessity, and the reward of volunteering within the community in which I live.” Insurance Services Organization (ISO) Rating for the Edgewood Volunteer Fire District (5/6/10):ISO collects information (such as nearest water supply, fire station, station staffing, number of personnel, number and type of fire trucks, pumping capacity, emergency communications, etc.) on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. Based on the information a numerical rating is given to the area which is used by insurance companies to determine premiums. ISO considers three classes:
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The Edgewood Fire District is situated in the south west corner of Santa Fe County and is responsible for providing fire and emergency medical services to the communities of Edgewood, Golden, Cedar Grove, and San Pedro out of four fire stations located at #25E, Frontage Rd, #650 Hwy 344 in Cedar Grove, #02 Oro Quay in San Pedro and #18 Dinkle Rd. The District is also home to the Southern Region paid paramedic crew (Med 70). As a growing community the district assists and receives aid from other agencies including, Sandoval County Fire Department, Bernalillo County Fire Department, Torrance County Fire Department, the Cities of Morarity, Estancia, and Willard as well as several other Santa Fe County Districts.
