First Responders Connect with Community at Touch-A-Truck

By R. Gabriel Villalobos

Children climbed aboard fire engines, explored police cruisers, and peered into the cockpit of a medical helicopter Saturday as first responders from multiple agencies gathered for the city’s Touch-A-Truck event.

The annual gathering, organized by the Carlsbad Public Library and held next to it, gave families a hands-on opportunity to meet the people behind the sirens. Among those on hand were the Carlsbad Fire Department, Carlsbad Police Department, Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, BLM Fire and Rescue, and Native Air 29 MediFlight crew.

The event blocked off some time in the morning for kids who might be very sensitive or averse to loud sirens. During that time, kids could experience these vehicles and interact with their crews quietly.

For two newly minted firefighters, the event was a first.

“We just finished fire academy a month ago,” said Abraham Vela of the Carlsbad Fire Department.

His colleague Janet Fountain said the job has already delivered moments of adrenaline. She described responding to a small fire that went out quickly but left an impression.

Vela said most calls so far have been medical rather than fire-related. “They told us that it would be around 90% EMS calls, so that was expected,” but the real value of the event, he said, was trust.

“This event gets community members to trust the firefighters more, the police department, the sheriff’s department,” Vela said. “It just brings the community closer together.”

Nearby, Lyle Cram, a helicopter pilot with Native Air 29, the local mediflight crew, stood by the helicopter. Cram, who graduated from Army flight school in 1983, has been flying for 42 years. He is what the industry calls a float pilot, moving from base to base as needed.

“I was in New York in January, and then they needed a pilot here,” Cram said. “So, they moved me from New York to here. I could be here for three days, three weeks, three years. I just never know.”

He said he has already grown fond of Carlsbad’s food trucks, especially the Mexican food, which he contrasted with options back home in Kentucky. “I go back to Kentucky, you know, and end up having to go to Taco Bell, and I’m like, ‘What is this?’”

Cram said the region’s geography offers him a striking variety as a pilot. Destinations range from flat terrain to the Guadalupe Mountains. “It’s a completely different environment based on which direction you’re flying,” he said.

For aspiring pilots, Cram offered blunt advice: you can go civilian or go military. “In the military, it’s free, but you owe them six years of your life. Whether you want to pay for it, or you want Uncle Sam to pay for it.”

James Bennett, a sixth-year veteran with BLM Fire, recalled an 800-acre blaze in Lea County in February, the Hat Mesa Fire, and warned that conditions are primed for more.

“With the lowest snowpack on record in New Mexico, I think we’re going to be a pretty busy year this year,” Bennett said.

He urged residents to recreate responsibly on public lands.

“Almost 90% of our fires are human-caused,” Bennett said. “Put out all your campfires. Don’t cook charcoal right on the ground next to some dry grass.”

For the firefighters, pilots, and deputies who spent the afternoon answering questions and letting children honk horns, the message was simple. Touch-A-Truck, Vela said, “has been great so far.”

The event culminated with the takeoff of Native Air 29’s flight back to the helipad on the north end of town in front of the hospital. Cram carefully conducted his pre-flight checklist. He visually inspected several parts and even climbed up the side of the chopper to view the blades from above and the motor that powers them.

When the checklist was complete, the pilot and crew all took their seats and strapped in as the blades spun faster and faster. Finally, the weight of the entire aircraft was gently lifted, and it rose higher and grew smaller in the sky as it flew less than two miles to sit ready for its next emergency call.