Bosque Farms' Rescue 5 certified and service-ready, officials voice concerns

Bosque Farms’ ambulance, Rescue 5, was declared fully certified and service-ready as of Tuesday, Feb. 3, but the move has prompted sharp questions from village leadership and nearby emergency partners about communication, staffing and safety.

Volunteer EMS coordinator Vernon Abeita notified several officials by email at 9:01 a.m., writing, “I am pleased to announce that Bosque Farms EMS has attained its EMS Certification for Medical Rescue for the Village of Bosque Farms. Bosque Farms EMS will be going ready to receive calls for service effective today. Volunteer rescue staff will notify central dispatch the time volunteers are available for the day,” His message was sent to Valencia County Fire Chief Matt Propp, Tommy Sanchez, director of the Valencia County Regional Emergency Communications Center (VRECC), Mayor Chris Gillespie and Bosque Farms Police Chief Owen, among others.

Village Councilor James Bruhn responded later that afternoon with an email expressing “serious concern” about the mayor’s decision to place the unit into service without notifying the council, the Bosque Farms Fire Department or “relevant county partners.” Bruhn wrote there was “significant confusion and concern about the situation,” among the village’s fire department, Peralta Fire Department, the county department and VRECC. He added, “I must also be unequivocally clear: as Mayor, you do not have unilateral decision-making authority over life-saving agencies or emergency response operations across the county,” and warned, “Further, your actions appear to be in direct conflict with Village of Bosque Farms ordinance and established emergency response protocols.” Bruhn also raised staffing and training worries: “In addition, by permitting a single person to respond to medical calls without clear confirmation that they are properly certified at the BLS (Basic Life Support) or ALS (Advanced Life Support) level, you are potentially placing Bosque Farms residents in direct danger,” and cautioned, “Allowing uncertified or insufficiently trained personnel to handle medical emergencies is not only unsafe, it exposes the Village to significant legal and ethical risk.”

Mayor Gillespie pushed back, saying Vernon Abeita “has all the licensing and certifications needed to answer calls.” Local materials show Emergency Medical Services is listed as a distinct department on the Village of Bosque Farms website, which also maintains codes and ordinances and meeting agendas that define municipal governance. One account of the situation summed the operational reality this way: “Rescue 5 is alive and on the streets as much as one person will allow it to be for now.”

The practical arrangements described by Abeita - volunteers notifying central dispatch when they are available - and the Original report’s suggestion of single-responder limits raise questions about response consistency, scope of practice and dispatch acceptance of single-responder units. Bruhn’s account says partner agencies experienced confusion; neither county fire leadership nor VRECC is quoted in the material provided to date.

For Bosque Farms residents, the dispute touches core public-safety concerns: who decides when an ambulance goes back into service, what certification and staffing levels are required for different medical calls, and whether mutual-aid and dispatch protocols were followed. Documentation naming the certifying authority, verification of specific BLS or ALS credentials, dispatch logs showing Rescue 5 call activity and the Village ordinances Bruhn cited were not included in the available statements and remain to be confirmed. How those records line up with the village’s stated “service-ready” status will determine whether Rescue 5 becomes a stable resource for Valencia County or remains a flashpoint in local emergency management.