Hondo District Chief Clark Thomas, earlier in life, “was a spot news photographer, frequently rushing to crime scenes and car crashes and documenting disturbing sights.
He also taught political economy and public policy at a university and worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as an investigator of Medicaid and Medicare fraud.
In taking on a new chapter in his life, first as an emergency medical technician and then as a firefighter, he felt he could find something he had been missing in the past — a chance to make an immediate impact on people’s lives.
As a photographer, he said, “It was always frustrating because somebody obviously needed help. My goal then became to work on the other side, helping people.” He enjoyed working for the federal government, protecting public money, he added, “but outcomes were 10 years down the road, and here I get an immediate outcome.”
(excerpted from feature story in Santa Fe New Mexican, December 7, 2024)
- Chief Clark Thomas
- Assistant Chief Madeleine Wells
- Fire Captain Billy Sladek
- Medical Captain Bruce Yurdin
- Firefighters Michael Schippling, Catherine Watson
- EMTs Oksana Fort
- Members Dino Farfan, Terry Protheroe, Jordan Snyder
Station Master John Delamater Web Master Gary Kowalski
