RRFR announces new station to be constructed near Maggie Cordova

RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho is getting a new fire station near Cabezon Boulevard and Veranda Road.

Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue Chief James Wenzel announced via social media Jan. 28 that design was completed for Fire Station 8, to be constructed south of Maggie Cordova Elementary School.

"We have some very exciting news to share with the community. We’ve completed the design for Fire Station 8 and in just a few short months we will be breaking ground on the city’s newest fire station," a social media post states.

According to the post, the station will provide fire and emergency services to the area, which has seen and will see residential and commercial growth in the coming years.

"Fire Station 8 is an investment in both public safety and our firefighters. As our community continues to grow, adding a new fire station will improve the department’s response times, apparatus coverage, and fatigue on crews. Ensuring the department and its members continue to provide the highest level of emergency care to all our community partners," Wenzel said in an email.

A legal notice for a construction bid by the city of Rio Rancho printed Jan. 15 details that the station will span approximately 15,400 square feet. About 8,400 of that will be living quarters and the rest will be an apparatus bay. It adds that the building will be made up of 10 bunk rooms, two officer suites, four apparatus bays and a public access community room. The community room can support a variety of uses, including public meetings and voting, according to Wenzel.

"Station 8 has been designed with firefighter safety, health, and well-being at the forefront of every decision. In addition to its impact on emergency response, this station was thoughtfully planned to serve our community," Wenzel stated.

He thanked the community, local elected officials, state legislators and city administration for the support.

Construction bid information can be found at rrnm.gov.