In its preliminary budget, the city is recommending the allocation of about $1.12 million to renovate and improve Fire Station 6. (Gregory Hasman/Observer)

Part of the city of Rio Rancho’s proposed fiscal year 2022-23 budget would include about $1 million that would go toward improvements at Fire Station 6 in the Mariposa subdivision. 

The city recommends the allocation of about $1.12 million for renovations and improvements to the station.  

The work would consist of addressing the station’s ceilings, walls, flooring and bathrooms; acquiring appliances and furniture; and landscaping.  

There is no timeline as to when work would begin.  

This will be known after contractor services are secured, Battalion Chief Ryan Floersheim said. 

Funding would also help pay for a new fire engine and other equipment, though there is no timetable for when the engine would be purchased, he said. 

The next step, according to the city’s preliminary budget, is to identify funding mechanisms to staff Station 6.  

The station closed in 2014 and a study was conducted to identify a need to reprioritize resources, Floersheim said. 

“In 2014, our department’s leadership, together with the city, made the difficult decision to relocate our personnel from Station 6 to stations in the southern part of the city, where a disproportionate volume of our calls was, and continue to be,” he said. “This decision was made to ensure our operational efficiency and we have continued to closely monitor the shifting demands on our resources as the years have gone on.  

“As our department and the city continue to grow, we look forward to expanding our services to meet the evolving needs of those who depend on us.”