Tucumcari fire chief placed on leave

Tucumcari’s fire chief was placed on paid administrative leave earlier this month pending an internal investigation.

City manager Paula Chacon confirmed in a phone interview last week that Tucumcari Fire & Rescue Chief Garrett Nash was put on paid leave on May 2.

Citing personnel matters, she did not disclose the reason Nash was taken off duty.

Chacon did not know when the internal investigation would be finished.

“Soon, I hope,” she added.

Nash has been with Tucumcari Fire & Rescue since 2020. He previously worked for the Clovis Fire Department.

Chacon said the city is coordinating with Quay County Fire Marshall Lucas Bugg and other nearby departments for fire protection in the meantime.

Nash declined to comment when reached on his cellphone Monday.

The city’s fire department recently ended a 90-day probation imposed by the New Mexico Fire Marshal’s Office.

Danielle Silva, director of communications for the fire marshal, confirmed in an email that TFD was on probation from Jan. 12 to April 11, 2024.

Silva said the department was placed on probation “due to non-reporting compliance” to the National Fire Incident Reporting System.

She said the state fire marshal sent personnel to help TFD regain compliance, which it did last month.

Silva said being on probation could have prevented the department from applying for state fire-protection funding.

She also said probation could have lowered the department’s Insurance Services Office rating, which likely would have led to higher insurance premium for homeowners. ISO ratings calculate how well-equipped fire departments are to put out fires in their communities.

Chacon said she wasn’t aware TFD was on probation until she received a letter from the fire marshal’s office in early April, stating the department’s probation soon would be lifted.