Rio Rancho Fire Rescue adds advanced prehospital procedures to improve outcomes

Rio Rancho Fire Rescue has expanded its prehospital capabilities, adding fresh frozen plasma administration, emergency chest decompression via finger thoracostomy and medication-facilitated airway management so crews can begin hospital-level interventions at the scene. The changes aim to stabilize critically injured patients more quickly, reducing the time and risk of waiting for hospital care or air ambulance transport.

Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) will be carried and administered to trauma patients to address hemorrhagic shock, while finger thoracostomy, a rapid procedure for chest injuries where air or blood collapses a lung, replaces the slower needle decompression in certain emergencies. The department also operationalized medication-facilitated airway management, in which specially trained paramedic supervisors use sedatives and paralytics to insert breathing tubes for patients who cannot protect their own airways. About 15% of ground ambulance services nationwide have this airway capability; Rio Rancho’s program was operationalized in July 2025 after a 12-month preparation period, according to local reporting.

The new procedures required significant training and regulatory steps. Finger thoracostomy exceeds New Mexico’s standard paramedic scope of practice and required approval from the state EMS Medical Direction Committee before deployment. Rio Rancho leaders say implementation followed years of planning and training, and EMS command staff, including the EMS Battalion Chief, EMS Training Captain and three Paramedic Lieutenants working under Medical Director Dr. Darren Braude, will oversee high-acuity response, quality assurance and ongoing training.

“These advancements represent our continued commitment to providing the highest level of prehospital care possible,” said EMS Battalion Chief Chris Mandeville. “We take immense pride in what we do and in the positive, lasting impact we have on the patients and families we serve.” The department frames the changes as positioning Rio Rancho among a small fraction of ground ambulance services nationwide able to deliver hospital-level emergency care at accident scenes.

Public health and equity implications are significant for Sandoval County. Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue is the city’s sole EMS provider and more than 75% of its calls are medical or trauma related; earlier stabilization can reduce preventable deaths, shorten time to definitive care and lessen reliance on costly air transport. At the same time, the department has not released detailed clinical protocols, outcome metrics or full funding disclosures for the new capabilities, leaving questions about long-term sustainability, oversight and measurable impact.

Financial planning documents in municipal discussions have pointed to a Capital Improvement Plan and potential use of a portion of ambulance revenue to support equipment and apparatus replacement, but city officials have not tied those mechanisms explicitly to the new clinical program. Residents seeking information or wanting to follow up can contact Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue at 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144 or by phone at 505-891-5000, city business hours Mon–Fri 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For families and first responders in Sandoval County, the expanded toolkit means more care delivered sooner on neighborhood streets and highways. The next steps are clear: transparent protocols, public reporting of outcomes, and sustained investment in training and equipment so that improved field care translates into better survival and recovery for residents.