ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque Fire Rescue is reorganizing as the department handles an influx of 911 calls.

“We have traditionally staffed rescue with two paramedics and what we are doing is moving one paramedic onto the engine and then moving one of the EMTs that is on the engine over to the rescue so we are still fully staffed but we are divvying up that paramedic staffing so that we can more effectively get paramedics to call,” AFR Chief Emily Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo said these decisions are always backed by the numbers. They looked at call data before, identifying four stations in the north and southeast part of Albuquerque that are considered ‘high demand’ districts.

“We looked at areas of the city that are a little further from the hospitals that have a longer transport time and then we also looked at the amount of transport some of those stations are doing,” she said.

Stations 9, 12, 15 and 20 will have rescues and engines staffed with a paramedic come March.

“We do our station bid where firefighters get to select where they are going so I have found the easiest time to make any kind of change is around the time the firefighters get to select where they are going,” she said.